Kings of Mewni vs the Forces of Evil
by FLASHFAN123
Summary: A genderswapped story of Star vs the Forces of Evil, chronicling the tales of the Kings' lives. From Skywind, King of Hours all the way to Comet II, the Underestimated. ON HIATUS
1. Index of Contents

**Table of Contents**

 **Act I: Skywind, King of Hours**

 **-Chapter 1: The First Travel**

 **-Chapter 2: The Hekapoe Assignment**

 **-Chapter 3: Accidents Happen**

 **-Chapter 4: Dimensional Doo-Wop**

 **Act II: Jeshica, the Uncalculated**

 **-Chapter 1: Family Issues**

 **Act III: Solarius, the Monster Carver**

 **-Chapter 1: A Castle Stormed**

 **-Chapter 2: Building an Army**

 **-Chapter 3: Alliances and Family**

 **-Chapter 4: Rising Tension**

 **-Chapter 5: The Last Stand**

 **Act IV: Eclipsine, King of Darkness**

 **-Chapter 1: The Black Sheep**

 **-Chapter 2: The Size-Shifter**

 **-Chapter 3: Dealing with Grief**

 **-Chapter 4: The Greater Evil**

 **-Chapter 5: Making Choices**

 **-Chapter 6: The End of an Era**

 **Act V: Festivo, the Fun**

 **-Chapter 1: The Lies Begin**

 **-Chapter 2: Let Them Have Fun**

 **-Chapter 3: What Hides Behind the Smile**

 **Act VI: Dirhenno, the Heaped**

 **-Chapter 1: Meh**

 **Act VII: Cresento, the Eager**

 **-Chapter 1: Inheriting the Role**

 **-Chapter 2: Politics**

 **-Chapter 3: Questionable Actions**

 **-Chapter 4: Retirement**

 **Act VIII: Ryan, the Riddled**

 **-Chapter 1: Puzzles**

 **-Chapter 2: A Troubled Family**

 **-Chapter 3: Accidents Happen**

 **-Chapter 4: Punishment**

 **Act IX: Simon, the Shy**

 **-Chapter 1: A Blessing in Disguise**

 **-Chapter 2: A Trip to Earth**

 **-Chapter 3: We Did Alright**

 **Act X: Edward, the Drafted**

 **-Chapter 1: The Artistic King**

 **Act XI: Comet I, the Chef**

 **-Chapter 1: Breaking the Mold**

 **-Chapter 2: The Way to a Monster's Heart**

 **-Chapter 3: The Happy-Go-Lucky Son**

 **-Chapter 4: Betrayal**

 **Act XII: Mars, the Undaunted**

 **-Chapter 1: Regrets**

 **-Chapter 2: The Darkest Spell**

 **-Chapter 3: Taking Control**

 **-Chapter 4: Looking to the Future**

 **-Chapter 5: Growing Pains**

 **Act XIII: Comet II, the Underestimated**

 **-Chapter 1: Coming to Earth**

 **-Chapter 2: Things Get A Little Weird**

 **-Chapter 3: Things Get A Little Wild**

 **-Chapter 4: Blood Moon Ball**

 **-Chapter 5: Running With Scissors**

 **-Chapter 6: Marcia v Tiffany**

 **-Chapter 7: St. Olaf's**

 **-Chapter 8: Party Time**

 **-Chapter 9: Taffy's Return**

 **-Chapter 10: New Feelings**

 **-Chapter 11: Love Hurts**

 **-Chapter 12: Third Wheel**

 **-Chapter 13: On the Lamb**

 **-Chapter 14: Midterms**

 **-Chapter 15: Song Day**

 **-Chapter 16: Confessions**

 **-Chapter 17: Taffy's Revenge**

 **-Chapter 18: Dip Down**

 **-Chapter 19: Marcia Comes to Mewni**

 **-Chapter 20: Stranger Danger**

 **-Chapter 21: Nighttime Escapades**

 **-Chapter 22: Questioning Society**

 **-Chapter 23: A Pair of Kings**

 **-Chapter 24: Heinous Actions**

 **-Chapter 25: Booth Buddies**

 **-Chapter 26: Eclipsine's Trial**

 **-Chapter 27: Meteoro's Wrath**

 **-Chapter 28: Long Live the King**

 **-Chapter 29: Divide**

 **-Chapter 30: Conquer**

 **Act XIV: Comet II and Marcia**

 **-Chapter 1: Rebuilding**

 **-Chapter 2: We Need to Talk About Mars**

 **-Chapter 3: A Vacation to Earth**

 **-Chapter 4: Milo Strikes**

 **-Chapter 5: A Fateful Battle**

 **-Chapter 6: Eclipsine's Proposal**

 **-Chapter 7: A New Beginning**

 **-Chapter 8: First Date**

 **-Chapter 9: Comet's Birthday**

 **-Chapter 10: Coronation Day**

 **-Chapter 11: The Special Gift**

 **-Chapter 12: The End?**


	2. Skywind: First Travel

**ACT I: Skywind, King of Hours Chapter 1: The First Travel**

Long ago, in the land of Mewni, the monsters ruled with an iron fist. Mewmans from across the land lived in constant fear of confronting the vicious beasts. Every day, a new species of monsters would arise to terrorize the settlers. For a time, it seemed that the Mewmans would go extinct.

But that all changed one day. A great leader of a Mewman colony, Brian Dragonfly, led his people through a harsh winter, finding solace in a giant tree stump. While they were there, they discovered that the stump provided the protection they needed from monster attacks and gave them time to ration their supplies. Under Dragonfly's lead, the Mewmans quickly adapted to life in the stump, building a strong bond of friendship between them.

Once the winter passed, a sturdy castle had been built around the stump to act as a safe haven for all Mewmans. Not long after, a mystical force beckoned to Brian, bringing him to the heart of the Mewman sanctuary. The magical energy sensed the nobility and courage within his soul and chose him as its wielder. The magic took shape, forming a powerful scepter capable of granting whoever held it incredible abilities.

Impressed by this, the Mewmans unanimously appointed Brian Dragonfly as the first King of Mewni. From that day on, the Dragonfly family ruled over all Mewmans; protecting the land from monsters, providing resources for the people, and of course, passing the mantle down to a worthy successor. And for the past twenty-seven generations, the lineage of Dragonflies have dutifully safeguarded the realm, all thanks to the magic of the scepter.

"Bollocks."Skywind scoffed, and set the history scroll back on its shelf. "Where is the evidence? Where is the _proof?_ Are we _seriously_ supposed to just _accept_ this hogwash?!"

A soft knock at the library door made the king's ears perk up. "Um, y-your majesty? I-I must ask that you keep your voice down."

"Oh, uh, of _course,_ of _course."_

It had been ten years since Skywind had inherited the throne from his father, Hymnal, and yet he was still looked down on for being a non-believer. Although, it wasn't entirely his fault; he preferred to put his faith in logic and reasoning rather than blindly following popular opinions. This often put him at odds with both his father and Mewni's Magical High Commission.

The only people who ever respected his viewpoints were his wife; Gem-ivine, his best friend; Gordon, and his teacher; Madame Indexia. And the latter of whom was wiped from existence when the original Great Book of Magic was destroyed in an unfortunate fire that nearly consumed the entire castle.

Skywind glanced down at his family's scepter, studying the unique design. According to his father, the scepter would magically take on a form that best reflected the wielders personality. In Skywind's case, the scepter was a golden rod with a winged clock at the top. While this baffled most people he associated with, he felt this was most appropriate. Time was his only constant companion in life; he took pleasure in studying ancient history and ruins, and using those studies to strategically predict the future. Over time, he learned to use the powerful magic in his scepter to alter the chronological flow of his dimension's timeline.

Unfortunately for him, his responsibilities as king forced him to use his magic for much less exciting purposes. The citizens of Mewni were highly incompetent, and incapable of sustaining themselves. Every week, the peasants would gather around the castle and await for their king to have food magically rain down from the sky. Not only that, but with the constant threat of the monsters, the scepter was the kingdom's only hope for survival.

"It's not _easy_ being king…" Skywind sighed to himself. Levitating down from the library's top floor, he made his way outside to the royal carriage. Once inside, his mood immediately brightened at the sight of his family. "Hello, love." He greeted his wife with a peck on the cheek before turning to the baby wrapped in a blanket. "And hello, little Jeshica."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Gem-ivine asked.

"Yes… and I've given a lot of _thought_ on what I want to do." He replied, ominously.

An hour later, the royal family arrived back at the castle. Rosaline, Skywind's duly appointed squire, jumped down from the driver's seat and opened the door for them. "Your majesty." She bowed.

"Thank you, Rosaline." Skywind nodded. "Would you be so kind as to assemble the Magical High Commission, please? I need to speak with Omnitraxus Prime."

"Whatever you wish, King Dragonfly."

Skywind watched Rosaline dutifully march inside as he led his family to the nursery. Little Jeshica was peacefully sleeping as Gem-ivine gingerly laid her down in her crib. "She's _beautiful._ Isn't she?"

"Of course, she is." Skywind agreed, sadly. When the king learned that his child would be born a girl, he was slightly disappointed. Not with her, of course, but with Mewni's strict patriarchal society. He truly loved his daughter, but the kingdom would never truly accept her as their ruler.

But at the moment, his main focus was on other things. Before the Commission could arrive, he needed to study a few incantations from his new edition of the Great Book of Spells. The coming task would be dangerous, and would require dangerous magic. He groaned in frustration as he dug through the mess that was his private study, until at last, he found what he was looking for.

Once the spellbook opened up, a small, blue woman with white hair and a pink gem in her forehead popped out. This was Madame Indexia of Contents, the living embodiment of magical energy in Mewni. Skywind was confused as his mentor brushed off her yellow dress and levitated above the pages. "Good morning, m'lord." She bowed, in respect.

"Indexia? What were you _doing_ in there? I haven't seen you in _years._ I thought you had _perished."_

"Oh, fret not, my king. I did not succumb to the flames, as you all believed. I was merely dealing with one of my new creations; _Rhombulie."_ Indexia explained before looking at the book.

"You've done me _proud_ by starting a new magic book of spells." She pinched the bridge of her nose as she shook her head in disappointment. _"Especially,_ since your father failed to save the original text from that dreadful fire."

"Well, surely, the _Great Book of Spells_ couldn't have been more important than the _Great Book of Fashion,_ right?" Skywind shrugged, sarcastically.

"Perish the thought." His teacher agreed. "Additionally, I wish to _congratulate_ you, my liege. For while I was away, I was told that your wife has given birth. You must be _proud_ to finally have a son to take under your wing."

"Son?" Skywind replied, perplexed. "Oh, I'm afraid you were _misinformed,_ Madame. I have a _daughter._ A beautiful little _girl._ Her name is Jeshica."

"A _daughter?"_ Indexia's eyebrow arched up in surprise. "Such a thing has never happened to your family before."

"So I've been _told."_ The king groaned. "But for now, there are more _pressing_ matters that require our attention."

The Magical High Commission, the enforcers of law and order in Mewni, patiently waited for their leader's arrival. Lekmat; the Commission's chancellor, magic healer, and observer of entropy, and Omnitraxus Prime; the living embodiment of the space-time continuum. Allegedly, these beings were created by Indexia to assist her in maintaining order in the multiverse, and they treated their job with the utmost seriousness.

Soon enough, Rosaline entered the meeting room with her chin held high. Clearing her throat, she unveiled a scroll and read it aloud. "Ahem, presenting his _most royal_ majesty, protector of the realm, savior of the people, master of the scepter's magic… Skywind, King of Hours."

Skywind calmly strode into the room, bearing a magnificent cape upon his shoulders. But his composition was ruined as Rosaline blasted a note from her bugle. "Do you have to do that _every time_ you announce me, squire?!" He asked, irritably.

"Uh, _yeah._ Best part of the job." Rosline retorted with a cheeky grin.

"Anyway…" The chrono-scholar turned his attention to the Commission. "Thank you all for agreeing to come on such short notice. Particularly, _you,_ Omnitraxus."

"I am pleased to serve you, my king." Prime's physical form was too large to enter the castle, so she communicated through an enchanted crystal ball. "How might I be of service?"

"As you are all aware, I have spent much of my free time studying Mewman history." He explained. "Like most tales of the past, the royal copy his full of _inconsistencies._ However, one part of the story remains the same: the stump and the scepter. If we could go back in time to the dated moment when King Brian inherited the scepter-"

"You believe that you can _prove_ whether or not the story is correct?" Omnitraxus interrupted.

"I never _believe._ I _hypothesize."_ Skywind corrected. "But there's more to it than _that;_ what if we could journey to other worlds _beyond_ our own timeline? I have been observing multiple different dimensions through my scepter."

Lekmat bleated in defiance, which Indexia translated. "The chancellor is against the idea, my king. And I agree. Mewni _needs_ it's king. In addition to the famine, the threat of a monster attack is constantly looming over the kingdom."

"Precisely!" Skywind exclaimed. "Mewni has _always_ struggled with the monsters and other problems because we've never looked _beyond_ the reaches of our own land! There's a _whole multiverse_ of untapped resources out there!"

There was a long silence before Omnitraxus spoke up. "Unfortunately, traveling through time is not that simple, your majesty." The skeletal face vanished from the crystal ball, replaced by an image of two ropes. "Imagine this rope as the timeline. When someone or something travels backwards, it ruptures the _time barrier_ which sends cascading waves of chronometric energy against the natural flow of time. When _that_ happens…" The first image of the rope unraveled and broke in two.

"... it _snaps._ Now, there _are_ some instances in which extreme measures can be taken to repair the _worst_ of the damage done to the timeline…" The rope tied itself back together in a strong knot as she went on. "But traces of the change will _always_ be there. Worse yet, there are certain moments in history whose consistencies are _crucial_ to the integrity of the timeline. The story of King Brian, the Stump, and the Scepter _is_ one of those moments. Any change made to that moment - no matter _how infinitesimal_ \- could have _devastating_ impacts on the present."

While Lekmat, Rosaline, and even Indexia were bored to tears by Omnitraxus' lecture, Skywind listened, intently. The king of hours was subconsciously planning a way around the laws of physics as his guest continued. This time, the second rope was brought into focus. "Now, there _is_ a way to safely carry out a time quest _without_ damaging our present. As you stated _earlier,_ King Skywind, there are _multiple_ dimensions that coexist in spaces between our own. Each dimension is different, some _slightly,_ other's _radically._ If we were to _cross through_ the dimensional barrier and travel backwards _outside_ the usual realm of time, we could harmlessly observe the past and return with minimal consequences."

"Then it's settled." Skywind smiled. "How can we pass through the barrier?"

Omnitraxus face reappeared with a dismal frown. "I'm afraid that feat is _beyond_ my power, my lord."

"Bugger…" The king cursed. "Is there _any_ way we might accomplish this?"

Indexia sighed, heavily, and landed on the table in front of her master. "There _might_ be… long ago, I created a being alongside Omnitraxus and Lekmat for the _soul purpose_ of engineering interdimensional travel… I christened him as _Hekapoe,_ Master of the Eternal Forge."

"But… that doesn't make _sense."_ Skywind grew curious. "Why is _he_ not a member of the Commission? He sounds like he would be _most useful."_

"Oh, in many ways, he _is."_ Indexia went on. "But he is a _ruffian_ and a _miscreant._ He takes pleasure in toying with those who seek his help. And thus… I _banished_ him to a pocket-realm."

"Hmm… that _would_ put a damper on things, wouldn't it?" Skywind replied. "But you _could_ get us to the pocket-realm, correct?"

"Of course, I could." She boasted. "And being the king, if you order me to take you there, I will have no choice but to obey. But I will warn you _once more;_ Hekapoe is a _dangerous_ entity, _not_ to be trifled with."

Skywind considered his teacher's warnings. If what Omnitraxus had told him were true, he could risk destroying his kingdom at the earliest point in time. On the other hand, he thought back to what inspired him to take up the time quest in the first place. His father had proven himself to be completely inept as ruler before retiring to a vacation home in a volcano. Even the lowly peasants looked down on him with contempt.

Ever since his eighteenth birthday, when he first took the throne, Skywind feared that he would be doomed to repeat his father's history. But such an idea displeased him, greatly. He wanted to make a name for himself before passing the scepter down to his daughter. At last he made up his mind. "Assemble the people!" He ordered.

Hours later, Skywind had made the official announcement of his departure. Gem-ivine would be in command of the land until his return; governing the royal guard and mapping out the land needed to start building plantations for food crops and other necessities. The king was rocking his beloved child to sleep one last time before his departure when his wife surprised him from behind.

"I truly appreciate how much _faith_ you have in me, my love." She purred.

Skywind set Jeshica in her crib and took Gem-ivine into his arms. "Well, while I'm gone, I'll need someone _intelligent, kind,_ and _reliable_ to be in command… and since I don't know anyone like _that, you're_ my best option."

The queen chortled as she playfully slapped her husband's arm. "I _will_ miss you." She confessed, bringing him into a kiss.

"And _I_ will miss _you."_ He replied as the hourglass cheek-marks glowed brightly.

"Your highness?" Omnitraxus beckoned from outside. "It's time."

With a final goodbye, Skywind flung his satchel over his shoulder and joined his hearty crew. Joining him on his quest was Rosaline, Indexia, and Omnitraxus to provide protection and guidance. "Is the magical barrier I created still holding?"

"Yes, my king." Indexia assured as she opened the portal to Hekapoe's dimension. "So long as the wand is in your possession, no Mewman will be harmed inside that barrier."

"Well, then… what are we _waiting_ for?!" He beamed, proudly. "Allons y, my friends!"

A dull, deafening silence filled the hallway. "Uh… _what?"_ Rosaline inquired.

"Oh, it's an _Earth term!"_ Skywind explained, eagerly. "You see, a sub-faction of humans who call themselves _'the French'_ speak their very own language! Apparently, it's _common_ for different areas of that dimension to speak a different, conflicting language. It's actually chronicalled in a book called _'the Bibb-Al,'_ in a chapter called _'the Babel Tower-'"_

"You're _rambling_ again, m'lord." Indexia cut in.

"Right. Thank you, Indexia." Skywind readjusted his outfit. "Anyway, 'allons y' roughly translates to 'let's go there.'"

"Okay, you could've just said _that."_ Rosaline pointed out, tiredly.

"Yes, I _could have,_ but then you wouldn't have _learned_ anything." The king prattled on as his crew members proceeded through the portal. "Also, something funny, there exists a _name_ for males on Earth called 'Alonso!' Which sounds similar to 'allons y!' So, theoretically, if I were to travel with someone named 'Alonso,' I could say 'allons y, Alonso!'"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's note: to the anonymous guest who left the first review; Jushtin and Dirhhennia (or Jeshica and Dirhhanno) don't have their own chapters because according to the book they either had the right to rule taken away from them by their parents(Jeshica), or had no interest in ruling(Dirhhanno). They** _ **will**_ **be making appearances in other chapters, but they may be minor. The the** _ **other**_ **anonymous guest who left the other review, I** _ **will**_ **be taking some inspiration from the book of secrets, but I might make my own adjustments.**

 **Please, let me know what you think so far!**


	3. Skywind: The Hekapoe Assignment

**ACT I: Skywind, King of Hours Chapter 2: The Hekapoe Assignment**

"King Skywind… welcome to Dimension X-103. Home of the Everlasting Forge."

The King of Hours and his crew found themselves in a barren wasteland. All vegetation was morbidly decayed, and the only notable features of the landscape were crages and volcanoes. If Skywind didn't know any better, he would have assumed he was in the Underworld, visiting the Lucitor kingdom. "How far away _is_ the forge? Will it take us long to get there?" He asked, conjuring up a tall glass of water.

"Not _too_ long, my king." Indexia assured. _"One month,_ at the most."

 _"One month?!"_ Skywind shouted. "That is _absurd!_ We don't have that much time! If I don't return to Mewni in a _week,_ the peasants will tear the kingdom to-" A quick glance at his family's most treasured heirloom derailed Skywind's train of thought. The king tapped on the protective glass and shook it next to his ear, but the black onyx crystals that made up the clock's arms would not move. "Indexia, I think my scepter is _broken."_

"No, your majesty, the magic is still there. Your _clock,_ however, is still set to Mewni's timeline. I designed this pocket-realm to exist _outside_ the usual flow of time." Indexia explained. "One year _here_ is less than _half a minute_ on Mewni."

The king was both impressed and concerned. "And… how long has this _Hekapoe_ been imprisoned here?"

"Almost ever since _King Lyle_ passed the scepter to his son."

"What? B-but that was almost _two thousand years_ ago!" Skywind spluttered. "All that time in isolation… who _knows_ what it could have done to him."

"Don't worry, Skywind." Rosaline patted her oldest friend on the back, trying to ease his discomfort. "As long as I'm around, you have _nothing_ to worry about."

"... _thank you,_ Rosaline." Skywind smiled, and continued into the wasteland.

"So, how's Gem-ivine?" The squire asked, trying to make small-talk. "You _have_ been treating my best friend well, haven't you?"

"Of _course."_ He rolled his eyes. "We've been _balancing_ our parental responsibilities. Jeshica gets rather _fussy_ if either of us aren't around."

"She's a _blessing,_ though, isn't she?"

"She _really is."_ Skywind sighed, joyfully. "It's so adorable how she tries to say my name. And she's already started _crawling!_ Gem-ivine is so _happy_ with her, she told me last night that she wants _another_ child!"

"Oh, that's _great!"_ Rosaline squealed. "Wait… _'child?'_ Not _'daughter?'"_

"Yes… _why?"_

"You want it to be a _boy,_ don't you?"

Skywind groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Look, I told Gem-ivine, the same thing I'll tell _you;_ I am _perfectly fine_ with having a daughter. I don't _care_ that my heritage is a _patriarchy."_

"But you _would_ like a boy, wouldn't you?" She replied, slyly. "I won't tell her if you say _yes."_

The king waved his hand, nonchalantly, as they carried on. "Eh… if she and I _were_ to have a son… I wouldn't _complain."_

"You _do_ realize that if you have a son, _he_ will inherit the scepter and the throne?" Indexia levitated up to the chatting pair of friends.

"Who invited _you_ into this?" Skywind snapped, mildly irritated.

"I'm just doing my _job,_ your majesty." The blue mage held up her hands, defensively. "Teaching magic spells, offering guidance on quests, and reminding how the realm of power works."

The rest of the trip was carried out in uncomfortable silence. Night time came, and Rosaline suggested that they should set up camp. Omnitraxus, not needing sleep, offered to take the first watch in the event that Hekapoe would come across them on his own. However, once the others fell asleep, she heard an ominous cackling coming from the distance.

"Hello…?" She called. Instead of a verbal reply, an orange, circular portal rushed towards her at an alarming rate.

Rosaline woke with a start, drawing her bow and readying an arrow. "Who goes there?!" She bellowed before cringing, inwardly.. "Ugh, that sounded _cheesy."_

By the time Skywind woke up, his entire crew had disappeared. Instinctively, he held his scepter close to his chest, ready to cast an offensive spell. Just then, another portal opened up right in front of him, and he immediately aimed his weapon. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" A blast of green energy shot through the portal, but struck nothing.

After giving himself a few minutes to catch his breath, the king of hours took a closer look through the portal. "Illuminate…" The clock of his scepter created a bright searchlight, allowing him to see through a bit more clearly. A high, piercing scraping sound crept out from the dark side of the magical gateway, prompting him to take a closer look. When he finally stepped inside, he found himself inside a seemingly abandoned forge, lit only by the molten metal used for crafting.

Following the sound, Skywind slowly aimed his scepter's searchlight at the opposite end of the forge, not noticing that the portal behind him had closed. Leaning against one of the furnaces, a demonic-looking man with pale skin sharpened his canine teeth with a file. He was dressed in a tattered yellow suit with a crimson tie and matching cape. Two orange horns protruded from his long, red hair, with a black crown resting in between them. But the most disturbing feature about this entity was the yellow cat-like eye staring at his new guest.

"Um… I take it _you_ are Hekapoe?" Skywind nervously tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Master of this forge?"

"You're very _perceptive."_ The demon chuckled as he started filing his claws, never once shifting his gaze. "So, what brings you to _my_ humble abode?"

"Can you… can you still forge the inter-dimensional scissors?"

"I _can."_

"Are… are _you_ the reason my crew has gone missing?"

"I _am."_

This was beginning to feel like more than Skywind bargained for. "Can you… please, bring them back? And, perhaps, create a pair of scissors for me?"

"... I _won't."_ Hekapoe flicked the file away and slowly paced towards the timid ruler. "I mean, I don't really _want_ to. Maybe _later…_ but for now, would you care for a _drink?"_

"I… beg your pardon?"

"Do you have _any_ idea what millions of years trapped in a _pocket-realm_ with _no one_ to talk to does to the mind of an _immortal?_ Don't _answer_ that… it ain't _pretty."_ Hekapoe gripped both of his horns and fell to his knees. It sounded to Skywind as if he was crying, but all of the forger's tears evaporated upon contact with his flesh. The king couldn't help but pity the poor being.

Suddenly, however, the sobbing turned into sadistic giggling, and Hekapoe stood up to rub the sadness out of his eye. After straightening his tie, the enchanted blacksmith motioned to a stairwell, leading to a subterranean level. "Ahem. Like I said; _not pretty._ So, if you want a pair of my scissors, you're going to have to _humor_ me. It's been a _long time_ since I've had any company."

Reluctantly, Skywind cautiously followed his host down the steps. The cellar was abundant with a variety of alcoholic beverages, with nearly half of all the bottles being empty. But Skywind's attention was drawn to what lay beyond the bountiful alcohol; a display case full of inter-dimensional scissors. "Pick your poison." Hekapoe offered.

"Um… I-I'm not much of a drinker, actually." Skywind politely declined, never taking his eyes off of the case.

"Eh, suit yourself." Hekapoe shrugged as he lazily pulled one bottle off of its rack. Extending his cape outward, the demon pulled out a pair of scissors from a concealed pocket and effortlessly snipped the neck of the bottle off. Ignoring the sticky mess that dripped onto the floor, Hekapoe proceeded to drink the strong liquor as his gaze fell upon the king's magic scepter. "So… _you're_ the king?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Well, when Indexia made me, they had a _different guy."_ He coughed, lightly, before elaborating. "Some _brunette_ in a _cheap suit._ Had these, uh… weird _birthmarks_ on his cheeks."

"You _knew_ my ancestor?" Skywind's curiosity piqued. "King Brian, the Predominant?"

"Nah, I think it was his _grandkid."_ The blacksmith corrected with another swig of the bottle's contents. "That other guy was _before_ my time."

"Uh, _right._ Now, about the inter-dimensional scissors-"

"Oh, yeah…" Hekapoe chuckled. "Pretty funny, right? See, Indexia made me to find a way to 'cut through the _fabric_ of reality.' And I thought to myself; 'what's better at cutting fabric than _scissors?'_ Get it?"

"Yes… clever." The king complimented, nervously.

"So, what do you _want_ 'em for?"

"Well, it's a bit of a long story." Skywind explained, trying not to make it obvious that he was moving closer to the display case. "You see, we're planning to go on a time-quest, and the scissors would prove most helpful in preventing any harm to the timeline."

"I _see…_ you _do_ realize you're working with _Indexia?_ The little blue bitch who locked me in here, right? And for what? Having a little _fun?'_

"Please, I _understand_ that you are upset. You have _every right."_ Skywind measured each word carefully. All he had to do was keep him distracted long enough to grab another pair of scissors. "But this may be your chance to… _prove her wrong!"_

"Prove her wrong?" Hekapoe sounded interested.

"Yes! Think about it; if you be the bigger man and help us on our quest, Indexia would see that she was wrong about you being _too chaotic,_ and finally let you out of this realm!"

The blacksmith set the bottle back on its rack, despite being empty. He rubbed his chin as he paced around Skywind like a hungry shark. The room was deathly quiet, with only the taunting cackles of the forge's molten metal echoing around them. The king was inches away from grabbing a pair of the enchanted scissors before a flaming dagger blocked his path, creating a wall of fire around the scissors. He froze in terror as his host rushed forward to gaze directly into his eyes. After a few more agonizing moments of contemplation, Hekapoe's lips curled upwards.

"Alright… I'll make you a _deal."_ Hekapoe's devilish smile grew wider, still. "Trying to steal from me _really_ pisses me off. But… you're not exactly the _worst guest_ I've ever had, so I'll give you _two choices. One;_ I let _you_ and that _Mewman girl_ go back home. Indexia and Prime stay _here,_ to suffer as _I_ have. And you forget _all about_ this little quest. _Two;_ if you can beat me in a challenge of _my choosing,_ I'll not only give you a pair of scissors, but I'll hand the others over to you. _But…_ if you choose option _two,_ and you _fail, you'll_ be stuck here, too."

Skywind's mouth was agape with fear. The idea of spending the rest of his life in the time-displaced pocket realm sent shivers down his spine. He would never see his beloved Gem-ivine or Jeshica ever again, the Dragonfly family would forever be disgraced, and without the power of the scepter's magic, the monsters would eventually wipe out all of mewmanity. But without a pair of inter-dimensional scissors, he'd never break through the time barrier, and his quest would be for naught.

In the end, it all boiled down to one question; was he really willing to risk everything over a quest? At last, he took a deep breath, clenched his scepter tight, and gave Hekapoe a stern look. "I accept your challenge. Whatever it may be."

"Hmm… this is gonna be _fun."_ Hekapoe chuckled. The blacksmith threw the bottle away, and cracked his knuckles in preparation. On impulse, Skywind defensively pointed the scepter at his challenger, ready to cast an attack spell. Hekapoe lifted his right hand up to the tip of the black crown resting on his head, and with the snap of his fingers, a small flame flickered into existence. "If you want a pair of scissors all you have to do… is _blow out_ this flame."

"That's it?" The king's eyebrow arched in confusion.

"Yup. That's it." Hekapoe nodded.

Skywind could hardly believe his ears; he now had nothing to fear. He leaned in close, took a deep breath, and his challenger disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of dust. "What the…?"

"Yoo-hoo~!" Hekapoe was now fifty feet away, with the same wicked smile plastered on his face. "Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention… I still have a lot of magic." Skywind watched in terror as the orange-clad blacksmith speed around in circles at a fantastic speed.

Steeling his nerves, he charged the power in his scepter and rushed at his enemy as fast as he could. He thought that if he could cast a shielding spell on himself, it would be enough to stop Hekapoe in his tracks. Instead, the crafty demon used his scissors to slice open a portal, and the young king fell through. The other end of the portal opened up high in the sky, and Skywind screamed as he drew closer and closer to the ground.

And then, everything went black.

A foul stench burned Skywind's nostrils as he struggled to open his eyes. Once his vision cleared, he found himself inside an active volcano. Desperately, he pushed himself as far away from the edge as he could.

"Wakey, wakey, your _majesty_ …" Hekapoe cackled, sinisterly. The pale demon lifted an opened bottle of vodka up to the flame dancing atop his crown, and waved it, menacingly, in front of Skywind's face. "Care for that _drink?"_

"Wha…? What's going on?" The King of Hours stammered as he tried to find his footing.

"Welcome… to _Hell!"_ Suddenly, Hekapoe leaped fifteen feet into the air, throwing the bottle at his prey's feet. Astonishingly, the flames spiraled away from the Mewman, and began to take shape. Fifty Hekapoes sprang to life from the dancing fires, rushing in different directions around the disoriented king.

Each Hekapoe clone laughed hysterically as they rushed around him, occasionally slicing at him with his razor-sharp scissors. "You can't catch me! You can't catch me!" They all taunted in unison.

"Enough!" The Mewman king held his scepter aloft, remembering a spell he had created on accident that would end this chaotic brawl. As the black onyx crystal housed in the scepter's head shone brightly, all the Hekapoe's began to levitate above the ground. They were all visibly frightened, some of them even clawing towards the planet's surface.

"What _is_ this?!" One of them demanded.

"I turned off the gravity." Skywind smirked. Once they were high enough, he conjured a lasso of pure energy that wrapped around the barren soil, and the planet began to rotate properly again. As each Hekapoe fell, Skywind blasted them with a gust of wind that blew out their flames. At last, the king landed on his feet, gazing at the only remaining Hekapoe as he fell to the surface.

"Mental illness-regression beam!" The hands on Skywind's clock spun out of control as a fine beam of light shot forth into Hekapoe's temple. The demonic blacksmith somersaulted backwards and fell on his back. The scissors fell from his fingers and his pupils rapidly grew and shrank. The king cautiously moved forward as Hekapoe slowly sat back up.

"Whoa…" The horned hunter shook his head and held his stomach. Suddenly, he didn't look as wild and menacing as he did before. The spell cast was clearing away the cobwebs that plagued his mind. "What… what was _that?_ Why am I _here?_ How did I _get_ here? What am I _doing_ h-?"

Skywind puffed a gentle breath, and extinguished the flame. With a smile, he extended his hand towards Hekapoe. "Oh, yeah… _now,_ I remember." He grunted, and straightened his tie. Once he was back on his feet, he finally smiled back at his opponent. "Not bad for a _Mewman."_

"Thank you." Skywind nodded in appreciation. "Now, about our _arrangement."_

"A deal is a deal." Hekapoe conceded, handing over the scissors. "You _earned_ them."

"Thank you. And my friends?"

"Oh, _right."_ Hekapoe took out another pair of scissors and once more sliced open a hole in the inter-dimensional barrier.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-oof!" Rosaline fell flat on her face while Indexia and Omnitraxus landed, gracefully. "We have been _falling…_ for _three hours!"_ She fumed.

"My king! Are you hurt? Did Hekapoe harm you?" Indexia's crystal shone a probing light over her ruler, checking for any serious injuries.

"Nice to see you, too, _mom."_ Hekapoe snarked. "Well, thank you all for visiting _Chateau de Lonely._ Have a safe trip back home."

"Wait!" Skywind gently placed a hand on his former enemy's shoulder. "I still need to learn how to _properly_ use these things. And _you_ know them better than anyone else. How would you like a spot on the Magical High Commission?"

"Really?" For the first time since they had met, Skywind saw a sparkle of hope in Hekapoe's eyes. "You mean… I can _leave_ this place?"

"Yes. _If_ you promise to behave."

"My king, are you _sure_ that's wise?" Omnitraxus advised, uneasily. "He was locked in here for a _reason,_ after all."

"It's pretty clear that I can handle him at his _worst."_ The King of Hours replied, confidently. "It'd be nice to see him at his _best."_

"... _fine."_ Indexia sighed, waving her hand over her creation's heart. "Hekapoe… Master of the Eternal Forge… I hereby _renounce_ your banishment."

A brilliant aura surrounded the blacksmith, causing a marvelous transformation. His tattered suit was mended and cleaned, and his skin was a healthier shade of white. "Wow… I don't… I don't know what to say. _Thank you,_ your majesty."

"No need to thank me, my friend. Just point me towards the nearest dimension." Skywind beamed. "Allons y, Hekapoe!"

"... uh, what the hell does _that_ mean?"

"NO, PLEASE!"

"WAIT, STOP!"

"DON'T ASK HIM THAT!"

"I'm _glad_ you asked!"

A collective groan filled the air as Skywind opened a dimensional portal.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **I'm glad you're all liking this so far! Please, keep me updated if you have any questions about what's coming up! Also, any "Potterheads" catch that little reference back there?**


	4. Skywind: Accidents Happen

**ACT I: Skywind, King of Hours Chapter 3: Accidents Happen**

After earning the inter-dimensional scissors from Hekapoe, Skywind insisted that his crew return to Mewni before proceeding with their quest. The king was highly concerned about the safety of his family, as well as the stability of the kingdom's populace. The portal opened up in the center of the throne room, and Gem-ivine was surprised to see her husband back so soon.

The queen led him into town, showing off the group of farmers she had already organized to begin the plantations, as well as her developing system for crop rotation and distribution. Skywind carried Jeshica around as he followed his wife through the cobblestone streets. After the horrors of facing Hekapoe in his hellish dimension, he was happy to spend a few precious moments with his beloved family.

When the time came to continue the quest, Omnitraxus Prime volunteered to stay behind and ensure that the magic barrier would still be standing when they returned. Skywind officially welcomed Hekapoe into the Magical High Commission, under the condition that he would continue to produce inter-dimensional scissors for the kingdom and submitted each pair for royal regulation.

At last, the crew finished their preparations and Skywind sliced open a portal. "Alright, Hekapoe…" He spoke slowly as they drifted through the void. "According to Omnitraxus, we need a dimension that is _similar_ to our own. Only _then_ will we be able to safely travel back in time. So, which dimension is _most_ similar to ours?"

Hekapoe cracked his knuckles and pulled down his left horn, processing his encyclopedic knowledge of the multiverse. "Hmm, let's see… do, do, do, _do_... ah! Here we go! Dimension 811! It's perfect; right outside our timeline. So, what you wanna do is open up the scissors, think _8-1-1_ , and move them upwards until you cut a hole big enough to step through."

Skywind nodded in understanding and did as instructed. The group stepped through the flaming vortex one at a time, with the king guarding up the rear for safety. But when they arrived, the feeling of excitement quickly disappeared. Dimension 811 was a wasteland that looked worse off than Hekapoe's pocket-realm. There were signs of previous civilizations, but all buildings and roads were completely demolished. The plant life had grown over everything, as if trying to strangle the entire world.

"Only one word can describe such a desolate place…" Indexia surmised, gravely. _"'Apocalyptic.'"_

"Indeed." Skywind agreed. "This changes things. I will not risk traveling back in time to the _starting point_ of this cataclysm. I suggest we have a look around. Perhaps we can find a _historical archive,_ or something. If we find the latest catalogued date, we can deduce when this disaster happened."

"Good idea." Indexia agreed. "We can start with the nearest building. _There."_

The explorers headed into the building, huddled around Hekapoe for visibility. However, the blacksmith was soon not the only source of light. The king ordered his friends to stop as something caught his attention. A group of bioluminescent worms were crawling across the wall, each one glowing a different color. Skywind held out his hand, coaxing a few of them to crawl onto his arm.

"Oh, my…" He breathed in amazement. The colorful worms were having a tantalizing effect on the young king. "This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen…"

"Uh, your _wife?"_ Rosaline questioned.

"Oh, uh, _right!"_ Skywind coughed, awkwardly. "I-I meant the _second_ most beautiful thing."

"... your _daughter?"_

"Right, right. I mean, my _top ten."_

"I say we _split up."_ Hekapoe chimed in. "We can cover more ground that way."

"Are you _crazy?"_ Rosaline gawked. "For all we know, whatever _did_ this could still be _around_ here!"

Hekapoe scoffed. "I spent _a million years_ in a hellish nightmare-world with only _booze_ to keep me company. This'll be a _cake walk."_ To emphasize his point, he split his own pair of scissors apart and held them like daggers.

"I agree with Hekapoe." Skywind admitted. "The sooner we find out what happened, the sooner we can determine how to proceed. Let's split up."

"Ugh… _fine."_ Rosaline snatched a candle off the ground and lit it from Hekapoe's head, wandering off on her own.

The Mewman monarch watched his crew go their separate ways, while he stayed in the same room. Taking a look around, he spotted three bookshelves along the walls, a work desk littered with more notebooks and papers, a model globe in the corner, and a table in the center. A few beakers were stained from whatever used to occupy them, indicating that they hadn't been cleaned in some time.

"It looks like this was some sort of… laboratory." Skywind thought to himself. The king of hours continued with his inspection, rummaging through broken beakers and dusty notebooks. The worms tickled as they clung to his face, prompting him to pick them off and place them in his pocket so he could focus. The intellectual part of his brain took over, and he began taking a closer look at his surroundings.

As he proceeded through the lab, a piece of paper stuck to the bottom of his boot. Once he peeled it off, he saw that it looked like a page torn from one of the notebooks. He leaned against the table to balance himself and gingerly peeled it off to examine it. But as he read the sloppy handwriting, his eager smile gradually disappeared.

"What…? What does this-?" His eyes scanned over the paper countless times as he tried to wrap his brain around its meaning. "'All livestock has gone extinct… sentient life too unpredictable.. too cruel... w-we deserve to _die…?'"_

Meanwhile, Rosaline was equally fascinated by the dark, mysterious lab. But her candle light was very dim, forcing her to pay close attention to where she was walking. A few minutes into her search, she found a door that lead to a much longer hallway. Despite the limited light source, she saw something that stood out from the darkness; four men made of metal leaning against the walls. A closer inspection, it looked as if they were operated by clockwork mechanisms. However, they had obviously been deactivated for some time.

Curious, Rosaline placed her fingers against its chin and gently tilted it to the side for a better look. But without warning, the machine aimlessly turned its head back in the opposite direction. Disturbed, the squire slowly backed away from it, hoping not to draw attention to herself. Unfortunately, she failed to notice the pile of scrap metal laying on the floor before tripping over it.

As the sound echoed around the room, and Rosaline struggled to get up, a dim light appeared in the eyes of the machine, and it slowly turned its head back towards her direction. All she could do was gawk as the empty eyes stared back at her. At last, an eerie, garbled voice came from the rusted robot. _["E-e-e-e-e-ex…"]_

"What?" The squire was too afraid to move. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

 _["E-e-e-e-e-ex…."]_ The automation repeated.

"I don't… I don't know what you _want."_

 _["EEEEX…. TERRRRR…. MIIIIII….. NAAAAAATE…."]_

The lights gradually grew brighter, and the machine's rusted joints creaked as it slowly stood up. Rosaline finally found the strength to start backing away, unaware that the other machines were also reactivating. _["Ex… ter… mi… nate… exter… minate! Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!"]_

A beam of light shot forth from its eyes, just narrowly missed Rosaline's feet, leaving a crater in the ground beneath her. The squire of Mewni's king took that as her signal to run away. "Skywind!" She called out in terror. "Skywind, help!" The other machines slowly followed suit, and attacked Rosaline with extreme prejudice.

"Rosaline!" A beam of green magic soared past her head and blasted the machines away from her. Skywind embraced his friend in a comforting hug before dragging her away. "That won't hold them off for long!" He told her.

Rosaline looked over her shoulder and noticed the mechanical menaces repairing the damage done to them as they continued their pursuit. "That won't hold them off _at all!"_ She shouted.

"Indexia! Where are you?!"

"You called, my king?" The blue mage appeared at the mention of her name.

"What _are_ these things?!"

"Hmm… they appear to be _enemies,_ I would assume-"

"Dammit, woman!" Skywind snarled as they rounded a corner. "This is _no time_ for one of your blasted, cryptic lessons! Give me a _straight answer!"_

"I only _pretend_ to know everything, Skywind." Indexia retorted. "Wait a minute… where's Hekapoe?"

"What?" Skywind stopped in his tracks to survey the area. "I don't know. I thought he was with _you."_

An agonized scream made everyone's ears perk up. The group ran as fast as they could to the source, and found their comrade in the clutches of a fifth robot. The blacksmith was fighting to break free with all his strength, but the flame atop his crown was fading fast.

"Release him!" Skywind ordered, and charged his wand for an attack spell.

 _["Negative. He must die."]_ The robot replied. _["I thank you for your part in our reactivation. I am Alpha-Zero, leader of the Automen. My creator invented us for the soul purpose of destroying all sentient life. Unfortunately, with no life left to destroy, we were forced into mandatory shut-down. But now that you have come, we have been given a new purpose. With this new technology, the one that allows users to travel through dimensions, we can function forever as we spend eternity wiping out all life across the multiverse. Starting with your home dimension!"]_

"Mewni is _not_ so easily conquered!" The king boasted. "There are over _one thousand_ citizens, many of whom are highly skilled _knights_ and _warriors!_ How many are you?"

 _["Five."]_

Skywind scoffed at the absurd notion. "You think you could destroy us with only _five_ Automen?"

 _["We would destroy you with only_ one _Automan!"]_ The tyrannical robot snapped. _["You organic beings are superior to us in only_ one _respect!"]_

"Oh, yeah?" Skywind tightened his grip on the scepter. "And what's _that?"_

 _["You are better at_ dying!"]

A strong laser blast further emphasized the heartless sadist's point. Skywind narrowly dodged the beam and rushed at his attacker. He grabbed his comrade away from Alpha-Zero and blasted the robot with avada kedavra. But the spell only worked on living beings, and a robot was not alive.

Multiple lasers came after the heroes as the Automen went on with the offensive. The white-skinned blacksmith finally woke up and readied himself for battle. Rosaline fired every arrow she had at the enemy, but they all shattered upon contact.

"We're gonna _die!"_ She cried.

"Think positive!" Hekapoe offered.

"We're gonna die, _quickly!"_ She corrected.

"Indexia, help them!" Skywind ordered as he cast a barrier spell. But his teacher had also been taken captive. Alpha-Zero personally held the mage in his clutches, tauntingly waving her in front of the king. Three other Automen approached Rosaline and Hekapoe, while the remaining robot focused its attention on Skywind.

The King of Hours grit his teeth in anger and did his best to defend himself, but the soulless machine quickly overpowered him. In no time, he was backed into the corner, forced to watch as his friends would be killed. _"This is my fault…"_ He thought. _"If I hadn't proposed this damned quest, we wouldn't be in this mess!"_ Suddenly, a surge of magical power sprang forth from his scepter, and overloaded the Automan's mechanical mind. Everyone's attention was directed at Dragonfly, now.

All the stress and frustration had finally manifested at just the right time. The dual hourglass-shaped birthmarks on his cheeks glowed brighter than ever before, as did his eyes. Four, transparent wings sprouted from his back, a pair of antenna grew from his forehead, and four extra arms tore through his tunic. This was Skywind's mewberty-form; the point where his magical prowess was at its natural peak.

"Get your hands _off_ of them!" He bellowed, angrilly. Using a lasso of pure magic, he tugged his crew away from the sinister machines and dragged them to safety. Hekapoe opened another portal to the dimensional netherworld. Once they were away, the king decided it was time to use the most powerful spell in his arsenal.

With both hands placed firmly on the scepter, Skywind spun the mystical artifact through the air while he gracefully danced around his comrades. Indexia recognized this technique; only Rosaline, Hekapoe, and the Automen were confused. At last, with his powerful gazed locked on the enemies, Skywind struck the bottom of his scepter on the ground. "Warnicorn… _STAMPEDE!"_

Astonishingly, an ominous cloud formed in front of the Mewman heroes, followed by a hoard of warnicorns. And it was here that Skywind made his mistake. The pure concentrated rage, combined with the raw strength that came with his mewberty-form enhanced the spell beyond his capacity. The feedback forced him backwards through the portal, and knocking him back to his senses.

The portal closed, automatically, leaving the group floating through the void. Skywind took out his inter-dimensional scissors, trying to reopen the portal. But the portal didn't lead to the same realm, no matter how hard he concentrated.

"It's no use, Skywind." Hekapoe explained. "If the scissors can't take you there, it's because the dimension you're thinking of… doesn't _exist_ anymore."

"W-what did I do?" The king of hours stuttered in terror. "What did I just do?!"

"Incredible!" Indexia exclaimed. "Of all the previous kings before you, none have _ever_ displayed the power to destroy an _entire dimension!"_

"N-no! I didn't _mean_ to! It was an _accident!"_

"Skywind, _calm down!"_ Rosaline consoled her friend. "Let's just… _go home_ for now. Give ourselves time to think this through."

"I urge you to listen to the squire, my king." Indexia agreed. "A little rest will do you good."

Skywind didn't know what to do. But then again, he doubted anyone would if they had completely annihilated an entire realm. In the end, he agreed to return for Mewni. Once they arrived, the king sadly announced that the time quest was a complete failure, and that they would not be attempting a second quest. When asked why, he ignored the question and ordered everyone to focus on the plantations.

Only the queen, who knew Skywind better than anyone else, was finally able to get through to him. He told her everything. From the horrors of the Automen, to the greater tragedy he committed with his own power. He left out no detail; even telling her about the beautiful worms that he destroyed. By the time he finished, even she needed a moment to process all the information.

"Well, you said all sentient life was _already_ destroyed beforehand, right?" She pointed out. "So, you only killed a few _worms."_

"Yes, but I _liked_ those worms." He set his scepter down on the bed so that he could lay down. Jeshica, sensing his distress, crawled over to her father and snuggled up beside him. This warmed the king's heart as he happily took her into his arms. "Aw, thank you, sweetheart… you don't thank your daddy's dangerous, do you?"

Gem-ivine laid down beside her husband, nuzzling his neck to provide comfort. But Skywind's giggling ruined the mood. "What's so funny?"

"Like you don't know!" He laughed. "Stop _tickling_ me!"

"I'm not tickling you." The queen protested, holding up her hands to prove it. "See?"

"What…? But then, who-" Skywind handed his child over to Gem-ivine and lifted his tunic. The brilliant glow lit up the room, as well as the king's eyes. "The worms!" He rejoiced as he gingerly plucked the insects from his body. "I forgot I placed a few of them on my person in the lab!"

"Oh, my. You weren't kidding." Gem-ivine gasped. "They _are_ tantalizing."

Jeshica's eyes sparkled with wonder and amazement, reaching out to hold one of the glowing worms. But her father had already gotten off of the bed and placed them in an empty jar on his desk. Carefully plucking a leaf from the rose stem next to him, he surrendered it to his tiny guests. "There you go…" He sighed, as they greedily munched on the flora. "You came a _long way_ for a _little snack._ I'm… sorry I destroyed your home."

The queen wrapped her arms around Skywind, and kissed his cheek. "You see? You _didn't_ wipe them out. Maybe this is a _sign."_ She suggested. "Maybe you can make amends for your accident."

"Yes… _yes!"_ Skywind grew more animated with each word. Gem-ivine beamed with pride at her husband's enthusiasm. "Yes! I'll _do_ it! I am _Skywind! The King of Hours!_ If I possess the power to _destroy_ dimensions, who is to say that I do not possess the power to _rebuild_ them?!" He lifted his wife into the air and spun in circles with joy. "You're _right,_ Gem-ivine! I can't erase my mistakes, but I _can_ make up for them! But _first…_ "

Gem-ivine shrieked with delight as her king lovingly ravished her neck with lustful kisses. She eagerly encouraged him onwards by unfastening the laces on her corset before she spotted Jeshica, still sitting on the bed. " Wait! Wait! Wait!" Reluctantly, she pushed him away. "Not in front of the baby."

"Oh, right." Skywind blushed. He moved towards the door and placed a hand to his mouth. "Uh, Rosaline?! Please, take the princess to her nursery!"

"Coming, my king!" The faint sound of footsteps echoed down the halls. The squire of Mewni hurriedly appeared in front of the door.

"Oh, and after the queen and I... _emerge_ from our chambers, I'll need to consult with Indexia. So, prepare my _inks!"_

" _Calligraphy_ or _artistry,_ my king?" Rosaline asked, struggling to catch her breath. But her old friend just stared at her, indignantly. "Um… I'll just get _both."_

 **To Be Continued!**


	5. Skywind: Dimensional Doo-Wop

**ACT I: Skywind, King of Hours Chapter 4: Dimensional Doo-Wop**

"So, what you wanna do, is you wanna go down that cobblestone road, there."

"Cobblestone road. Okay."

"Then, what you wanna do, is take a left at the neighborhood with the skeletons and cobwebs."

"Skeletons and cobwebs, got it."

"And there's this old building with a _chapel._ Used to be a church, but the wack job used it as a laboratory that _started_ this plague. But don't worry, he made the vaccine before he died, so you should be fine."

"Chapel. Alright."

"Oh, but if you see a river of blood, you've gone _too far."_

Skywind eagerly scribbled the directions down on his notepad. It had been twenty years since the destruction of Dimension 811, and the King of Hours was still nowhere near as close to finding a spell that would undo the damage as he hoped to be. Nevertheless, his perseverance had led him through multiple dimensions, gathering bountiful knowledge.

Over the years, the Magical High Commission were required to return to their own duties, leaving Skywind to finish the quest on his own. The only one to stick with him through the journey was Indexia, and only because it was her duty to serve the royal family. Currently, they was traveling through the dead world of Dimension 223-Z in search of an chemical solution for the spell.

"Thank you, again, my good man."

"Hey, no problem." The corpse reached out to shake the king's hand, only for his arm to pop out if it's socket. "Ah, geez. That's embarrassing. Hey, can I go back to my grave now? This is starting to hurt."

"Of course, my undead friend. I believe you have helped enough." Skywind waved his scepter in front of the reanimated cadaver, ending the spell and sending the dead man back to his eternal rest. "That was much easier that the _last_ dimension."

"Indeed, my liege." Indexia nodded.

A few hours later, the duo had acquired the potion's formula and returned home. Skywind beamed with pride as he observed his queen overseeing another successful harvest. Gem-ivine kissed her husband as he passed by, and led the farmers to the marketplace for distribution. And yet, the king kept his eyes glued to his spellbook.

"Hi, daddy!" Solarius, the six-year-old prince of Mewni, ran up to his father at full speed and wrapped his arms around the king's leg. The sudden shock finally provoked a reaction from the distracted scholar. "I went for a walk on the docks today and saw a lot of boats! And there was this girl with green hair, and she had her own ship! And Milo was there, too! He and I practiced fighting for when we become knights!"

"Oh, really?" Skywind chuckled. "And why do _you_ want to be a _knight,_ Solarius? You're already a _prince."_

Solarius pouted and crossed his arms. "Being a prince is _boring!_ I don't even get to _do_ anything! But if I become a _knight…_ I'll _hunt_ the monsters down and _slaughter_ them! I'll see to it that they _never_ harm another mewman ever again!"

The king just smiled and rubbed his son's crimson locks. "Do me a favor, Solarius; never grow up."

"I'll _try."_ The boy nodded.

"Now, why don't you go play with your mother. I need to retreat to my study." Giving his boy a pat on the head, Skywind finally headed up to the castle.

"Dad!" A girl dressed in a fabulous suit rushed up to the king, walking alongside him as he continued on. This was Jeshica, the Uncalculated, Skywind's first born child and only daughter. After Solarius was born, the poor girl lost her chance to be ruler. However, even though she didn't have her family's magic, she still had her magnificent brain. She spent most of her time with the best scholars and tutors the kingdom had to offer, making her as brilliant as she was fashionable.

"Oh, hello, sweetie." Skywind smiled. "I'm a little busy right now. Can this wait?"

"No, but _look!"_ She held out a scroll littered with calculations, and pointed at each equation with the feather pen she kept in her hat. "Okay, I've done the math, and I think I've come up with a more _effective_ way of growing and harvesting the crops! Maybe even grow something other than corn! It's a _little_ more expensive, but it'll be _way better_ in the long run! We just need to-"

"Your mother has the crops under control, Jeshica. Nothing to worry about." Her father interrupted.

"B-but, dad, I _really_ think that-"

"Not _now,_ Jeshica." He snapped. "I need to get back to work."

"Oh… okay, dad… bye." Jeshica stuck her pen back into her hat and walked back to her room, throwing the scroll into a waste bin on her way.

Meanwhile, Skywind cracked his knuckles and began the preparations for synthesizing the formula. Once Indexia had conjured up the necessary elements, she retired to the Great Book to rest. But Skywind's experiment didn't stop. Over the next thirty minutes, he diligently mixed each ingredient carefully, until it was ready to boil. But just as he set the flame, his squire's voice came over the intercom.

"My liege?!"

"AH!" Startled, Skywind blasted the lock to his door with the scepter. Indexia popped her head out of the book to survey the damage before eyeing her king. "We _both_ saw that. Rosaline did it." He muttered before taking the microphone into his hand. "Yes, Rosaline? What is it?"

"Well, I hate to interrupt you, but a blue carriage just pulled in. The guy had a royal crest, so I just let him in. He should be there in a few minutes."

"Royal crest?" Suddenly, Skywind's eyes widened in terror. "Oh, no… Rosaline! Stop that man! Do _not_ let him get to me!"

"I already let him in." She replied. "He's _unarmed,_ and he's _not_ a threat."

"I don't _care!_ Just do as I say!"

"Well, he's on his way? What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't _know!_ Just tell him I'm _not here!"_ He shouted into the microphone. "Do not let him-!"

"Hey, Sky! Are you up there?!"

Skywind groaned, rubbing a palm over his face. "If I say 'no' will you _go away?"_

An elderly man in a sharp suit, with dual music note-shaped birthmarks on both cheeks, entered the room. "I can see you're as _chipper_ as ever." He scoffed at his son's tone.

"Hello, dad…" Skywind sighed. This was the former king of Mewni, Hymnal, the Fashionable. Remembered for his carelessness and narrow-minded behavior, the kingdom was most relieved when he stepped down from the throne. But above all, his own son looked down on him with contempt and a bit of resentment. "What are you _doing_ here? I thought you were spending your retirement in a volcano home."

"Well, I _was._ It really does _wonders_ for the _pores."_ Hymnal smiled, rubbing the smooth skin on his face. But the older man shook his head to focus. "But, I heard that you were pushing yourself a little _too hard."_

"How'd you hear that?"

"Huh?"

"I said 'how'd you hear that?'"

"What?"

Skywind rolled his eyes. He had forgotten about his father's growing deafness, so he had to raise his voice. "I said, _'how did you hear that?!'"_

"Oh, I hear _everything!"_ Hymnal replied. "From what I was told, you've been trying to come up with some _ultra-powerful spell,_ or something. And you've been neglecting your family in the process. Take my advice; you should go on a _vacation._ Just _relax!_ You can bring the kids to my place at the volcano! Because, y'know, you keep _saying_ that you'll visit and then, heh-heh… well, you never _do."_

Skywind leaned back against his desk and rubbed his temples. "Look, I _appreciate_ that you want to help, dad. I _guess._ But I don't need you to tell me how to run the kingdom. I never told _you_ how to."

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Hymnal gawked. "That's _all_ you ever did! The first words that ever came out of your mouth were 'you're doing it wrong!'"

"Well, you _were."_ Skywind shrugged.

The former king was growing impatient. "Look, just _take a break!_ Get _out_ of this room! Go _downstairs!_ And enjoy your _family!_ Need I remind you that your daughter's birthday is in _two days?"_

"I've already had the royal blacksmiths fashion her a birthday tiara." Skywind sat back down at his desk, opening the Great Book of Magic to jot down his notes. "They'll have it ready by then."

"You can't be that foolish!" Hymnal snorted. "If you actually spent _any_ time with your daughter, you'd know she prefers _hats! Rings! Necklaces!_ She _hates_ tiaras because it reminds her that she can't be ruler!"

"How would _you_ know that?"

"She writes me _letters._ Unlike a certain _someone."_ Crossing his arms, angrily, Hymnal continued with his lecture. "And if you don't _smarten up,_ she'll spend the rest of her life thinking that her _own father hates her!"_

"That is _ridiculous!"_ The king refuted. "Jeshica has _never_ complained to me about feeling neglected!"

"Of _course,_ she hasn't, you _knucklehead!"_ Hymnal gave his son a firm slap upside the head. "No child is just gonna straight up _tell_ their father that they're _dying inside!_ She's probably blaming _herself_ for your ignorance! You spend more time _studying_ than you do with your own _family!_ And if you keep it up, you're gonna _regret it_ for the rest of your life!"

"Oh, what would _you_ know about family?!" Skywind snapped. "All _you_ ever cared about was your damn _clothes!"_

"Oh, so now this is _my_ fault?!"

"Well, you didn't exactly set a very good _example!_ After all, you let the Great Book of Magic go up in smoke, while you saved that damn fashion book as if it were your own child!"

"All I wanted was for you to help your subjects look presentable! Is that so wrong?!"

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ that I don't obsess over what the hell I'm _wearing_ as if my life depends on it! I mean, did it _kill_ you that I just picked a random page and rolled with it?!"

"I _died_ a little inside, yes!"

"... I don't need your help, dad." Skywind brushed off his shoulder and turned his back. "Now, _please._ I'm very, very… _busy."_

Hymnal sighed in defeat; there was just no reaching out to his son. "Well, suit yourself." He conceded and made his way to the door, noticing the damage done to it. "Uh, you know, you're door lock is _busted."_

"Yeah. _Rosaline_ did it." Skywind replied, not looking up.

"Ah. Well, in _that case,_ she also knocked over a _vase_ on her way up." With that, the former king of Mewni began his descent.

After he had left, Skywind found himself unable to write. Leaning back in his chair, he gazed out the window. There, sitting in the castle's garden, was Jeshica. The girl delicately plucked a daisy from it's patch and placed it in her hair. As Skywind continued to observe, he saw her pick up a stick and wave it around as if it were a magic wand.

"Indexia?"

"Yes, my king?"

"Do you… do you think dad was right? Am I… _neglecting_ my daughter?"

"Well, I never thought these words would slip through my lips, but… _yes._ I believe Hymnal had a point. You _have_ been a little too caught up with your work."

"But, I… I _do_ love her."

"Why are you telling _me? She's_ the one who needs to hear it."

Skywind looked back outside, seeing how energetic his daughter was being with the stick now. He pushed himself away from his desk and made his way downstairs. On his way, he tripped over a waste bin just outside of Jeshica's room, and found a scroll inside. He opened it up and skimmed over all the math several times, impressed by how much effort she had put into it. "Indexia… tell Rosaline to clear my schedule for the rest of the day. I've got some _reading_ to do."

Hours later, Jeshica had her arm linked with a close companion as they made their way to her room. "Thanks again for coming, snuggle-bear. I _really_ needed to see you."

"Anything for _you,_ my princess."

Just as they opened the door, the young Mewmans screamed in fright as they found the king sitting on her bed. Skywind, startled by their sudden entrance, fell backwards onto the floor and yelped in pain.

"Dad?! What are you doing in my room?!"

"Jeshica! I'm so glad to see you!" He spluttered. "Listen, I… I'm _sorry,_ I haven't spoken to you in a while. I was so _distracted_ by this stupid quest that I… well, I forgot what's _really_ important to me. So, I read your scrolls. Every _note,_ every _calculation…_ and I _like_ it."

"You _do?"_ The princess gasped. "W-which _part_ of it?"

"Are you _kidding_ me? _All_ of it! It's brilliant!" The king praised his daughter. "And such brilliant ideas deserve to be _applied._ So, after we arrange for a meeting with the Commission, I want to make _you_ Mewni's _official_ Prime Minister! Responsible for all _trade deals, political gatherings, crop rotation,_ and much more! _If_ you feel up to the job of course."

"Dad, this is wonderful! I _accept!"_ Jeshica hugged her father, tight, jumping up and down in excitement. Then, she took her male companion into her arms and gave him a long, loving kiss. It wasn't until she remembered that her father was still present that she pushed herself off of her lover. The princess shifted uncomfortably in place and stepped closer to the boy. "Um, dad… this is my _fiance._ Duke Spiderbite of the Spiderbite Kingdom."

"Oh…" Skywind was flabbergasted. "W-well, it's nice to meet you, my boy."

"The pleasure is all _mine,_ your majesty." The Duke bowed, awkwardly.

"So… uh, when's the big date?"

"Um… a few _weeks_ from today."

Skywind's heart sank. His own child was getting married, and he hadn't even heard about it until the last minute. "Oh, I see." He said, sadly. "Well, I should probably get these scrolls ready for your presentation for the Commission. And, uh… I wish you both a _lifetime_ of happiness together." The king slowly made his way to the grand hall of the castle, letting a single tear slide down his cheek.

"Wait…!" Jeshica spoke up, again. The king stopped in his tracks and quickly turned on his heels. "I mean… if you're not _busy,_ we'd really appreciate it if you made an appearance."

"... really?"

"Yeah…" She smiled, tearfully. "I know it would really make _me_ happy… daddy."

A warm feeling swelled in Skywind's chest, as his daughter's radiant smile reflected onto his own face. At last, he opened his arms and brought her in for a loving embrace. "Then I wouldn't miss it for the _world."_ He whispered. "Oh! I have something to show you! Come with me!"

Before the two lovebirds could respond, Skywind grabbed both of them by the arm and dragged them into his study. Jeshica was horrified to see all of his accumulated notes on his two-decade quest had all been burned to ashes. "Wha-what _is_ this?" She gasped. "I thought you were trying to rebuild Dimension 811? Try to give the worms their home back?"

"I _was."_ The king nodded. "But _not_ anymore. These studies are no longer _needed_ for my quest."

"You found a way to rebuild the dimension?"

"No. Sadly, I didn't." He explained. "But I _did_ find another dimension similar to their home. It has _no predators_ and plenty of _vegetation._ And I would like _you,_ and your betrothed, to join me… to finally see this quest through to the end."

"Dad, I… this is so _exciting!"_ Jeshica squealed with delight. "I've always _wanted_ to visit another dimension with you!"

"Then what're we waiting for?" Taking out his inter-dimensional scissors, Skywind opened a portal and motioned towards the vortex. "Shall we be off, Ms. Prime Minister and… I-I'm sorry, what's your first name, son?"

"Alonso." The Duke replied, happily.

Skywind's eyes widened and his mouth went dry. Jeshica had never seen her father look so surprised in her entire life. "You're _kidding_ me…" He said, at last.

"What?" The boy didn't understand why his ruler was suddenly grinning from ear to ear.

"Here's something _I've_ always wanted to do…" Skywind took the children's hands into his own, his smile growing ever wider. _"ALLONS Y, ALONSO!"_

With that, the King of Hours and his two fellow travels stepped through the portal into Dimension 812.

 _ **Ticktock, the clock talks,**_

 _ **But secret are its powers.**_

 _ **The only one to break its spell**_

 _ **Is Skywind, King of Hours.**_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **After giving it a lot of thought, I decided that denying Jeshica and Dirhenno their own chapters would disrupt the whole point of this fan fiction. So, get ready to learn about the brief chapter of Jeshica, the Girl-King!**


	6. Jeshica: Family Issues

**ACT II: Jeshica, The Uncalculated Chapter 1: Family Issues**

"Hmmm…" Jeshica Dragonfly, the firstborn child of King Skywind, tapped the piece of chalk against her chin. She and her best friend stared at the blackboard littered with calculations and formulas. For the past three hours, the duo had been struggling to solve a nearly impossible problem that was plaguing the princess.

"We _must_ be getting close to an answer." Alonso rubbed his fingers through his hair. "Maybe we should go through the math _one more time."_

"Good idea." Jeshica agreed. "Okay. We agreed that the black and red cardigan was a _perfect_ blend of colors for the cold weather, but the horizontal stripes make me look… _large._ And the silk dress was comfortable _and_ stylish, but the feathers on the left shoulder keep hitting my face and tickling my nose, negating _all_ comfort factors. The _sunhat_ would be a nice replacement from the _crown,_ and I like the _color,_ but the _bow_ is way too much. And lastly, the _boots._ They're the _right size,_ they're _comfortable,_ and they go up to my thighs, adding an abundant degree of _sexiness,_ but… the pink laces make me _gag."_

"I don't get it." Alonso sighed. "After fifteen years, how has your mom not figured out what you like?"

"I _know,_ right? But all I need is to pick _one thing_ she got me for my birthday or she will _cry._ But it's all so _terrible!"_ Jeshica slammed her forehead against the blackboard out of frustration. "I don't wanna hurt my mom's feelings, but at the same time I don't wanna look _ridiculous!"_

"Wait! I have an idea!" The Duke of the Spiderbite kingdom took the chalk and scribbled on the blackboard. "If we were to _subtract_ negative aspects of each article of clothing via _alteration,_ your clothes would be much more fashionable and function, and you'd _still_ be using the gifts your mother gave you!"

"That's _brilliant!"_ Jeshica beamed. "And I know _just_ the man to pull off such an operation." The former wielder of the scepter rushed to her dresser and pulled out her magic mirror. "Mirror, mirror, in my hand; call Grandpa Hymnal, across the land!" The reflective surface of the beauty mirror magically altered to window, bringing Jeshica face-to-face with her favorite relative. "Hi, grandpa! Quick question; how fast can you get to the castle?"

"Is _this_ fast enough?" Hymnal chortled as he walked through her bedroom door.

"Grandpa!" Jeshica dropped her mirror and happily threw herself at her grandfather. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, since I missed your _actual_ birthday, I wanted to _at least_ give you my gift in person!" The old man reached into his satchel and handed her a beautiful set of ten rings for each finger. "So, what do you think? Be _honest._ Be _brutal."_

"Oh… my… _Stump!"_ Jeshica gingerly slipped each ring over her fingers, admiring the sparkling jewelry. "This is _perfect!_ I've always _wanted_ bling like this!"

"Well, I'm glad you like- _gah!"_ The former king recoiled in terror at the sight of the clothing. "What in the name of Indexia is _that?!"_

"That's what I called you for!" Jeshica suddenly remembered. "Mom bought me all this really tacky stuff that has good _and_ bad qualities! And if I don't wear them, it'll make her sad! Can you whip out some scissors and a sewing kit and _fixing_ all of this?"

Hymnal's expression was one of confusion and indignance. "Jeshica, it is _not_ that easy to just - _wait_ a minute, I'm a _genius."_ He said as he held up a pair of scissors and a sewing kit, glaring the gaudy clothing articles with a hungry look in his eyes. Jeshica and Alonso watched in amazement as the old ruler skillfully altered the clothing at a frightening pace. "There! All done!"

Jeshica was delighted at the sight of her improved clothing. The cardigan had been cut apart and stitched back together so that the stripes were vertical, the boots' pink laces had been dyed black, the feathers had been carefully removed from the dress and placed into the hat to replace the bow. "Oh, my… this is amazing, grandpa! Thank you so much!" Jeshica praised her grandfather as she took the clothes behind her room's panel divider to change.

At last, she stepped out from behind the board, did a spin, and struck an impressive pose for her small audience. The Duke of Spiderbite was lovestruck at the sight of his crush. "This is great! Now, I can make mom happy _and_ look fabulous! I owe you one, grandpa!"

"Oh, think nothing of it, darling." Hymnal brushed a piece of fabric off of his shoulder, proud of his latest achievement. "So, speaking of your mother, where _is_ she? I haven't seen her _or_ your father since I entered the castle."

"Oh, that's probably because they're in their master bedroom." Jeshica explained, admiring herself in the mirror. "Mom went into labor this morning and they've been with the royal doctor ever since."

"Oh, that makes sense." Hymnal nodded. "Wait, _WHAT?!_ Your little brother is about to come into this world, and you're in _here_ worrying about your _clothes?!"_

"Yeah. Pretty much." She shrugged. "I mean mom's been _screaming_ all day. I'm surprised you didn't _hear_ it."

"Oh, is _that_ what that was? I thought that was the _harvest horn."_ Hymnal shook his head. "Well, let's _go!_ We need to support your parents! This is a _magical moment!"_

"Well, I wouldn't know." Jeshica pouted. "Dad _took_ my magic. Just so he could give it to a brother I don't even _want."_

"... well, this is _awkward."_ Alonso quietly made his way out the door.

"Oh, Jeshica, _darling."_ Hymnal sat down next to his granddaughter. "I know it was _hard_ for you to give up the scepter, but I'm sure your father still loves you." The girl rolled her eyes and focused on her makeup. The former king sighed, sadly. "Alright. I'm gonna go check on your parents. Please consider following me."

With that, the fashionable ruler made his way to the master bedroom just as the pained screaming started to die down. As he got closer, he stopped to lovingly brush a painting of his dearly departed wife. "Oh, Sara…" He mused, happily. "If only you could be here to see this."

At last, he entered his former bedroom to find the king and queen sitting on the bed. "Hi, dad." Skywind waved, not looking up. The royal doctor passed his former king with a happy nod. By the time Hymnal made it to the bed, his son finally looked at him. "Thank you for coming, dad."

"Huh?" Hymnal held a hand to his ear.

Skywind rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I said _thank you for coming, dad."_

"Oh, it's just something I _threw together,_ but thank you." Hymnal brushed off his sleeves, unaware of what his son actually said.

Skywind decided to drop it and just enjoy having his family together for this special moment. That is, until he realized there was one important member of his family missing. "Dad, where's my daughter?" Hymnal appeared to ignore the question, continuing to play with his new grandson. The king's anger flared. "Oh, for pity's sake, dad! _Where is my daughter?!"_

"Why are you _shouting_ at me?!" Hymnal snapped.

"Because you need a _hearing horn,_ old man!"

"I do _not_ need a hearing horn! _You_ just need to stop _mumbling_ at me, grandpa!"

"I do not _mumble!_ Pfft. I don't _mumble._ What's he talking about…?" Skywind mumbled to himself. "Just go keep Gem-ivine company while I look for Jeshica, please?"

After his father agreed, Skywind went off in search of the princess. It didn't take long for him to find her in her room, still working on her appearance. Skywind always thought it was uncanny how similar she was to his father. If it weren't for her remarkable intellect, he would have been worried. He knocked on the door frame to grab her attention, then entered the room.

"Jeshica, sweetie. Your brother is finally _here."_ He smiled. "Would you like to _meet_ him?"

"No thank you." She replied, coldly. "I'd rather _not_ meet my _replacement."_

"Replacement?" Skywind sounded horrified. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"Oh, just give it a _rest!"_ She snapped. "Ever since you heard mom was pregnant, you've been _ecstatic._ You were _happy_ when you took the scepter from me."

"Who told you _that?"_

"Madame Indexia."

"... well, _she's_ not getting any more pudding for a month." Skywind groaned. "Okay, _yes,_ I _was_ happy, but it was because of your _brother._ Not because I was taking the scepter from you."

"But she said you'd always _wanted_ a son." Jeshica muttered. "And that you were _dancing around_ right after you took the scepter back."

"... make it _three_ months." The King of Hours tiredly rubbed a hand over his face. "Darling, it's not that I… I mean, I still… okay. Remember when you were _five years old_ and you wanted a puppy? But your mother and I didn't think you were _old enough_ to take care of one, so instead we got you a _turtle?"_

"Yeah?"

"And then what happened? Hmm?" He smiled. "Even though you really _wanted_ a puppy, you really _liked_ that turtle, huh? You used to _talk_ to it, and carried it _around_ with you, and paint its _shell._ You were _happy,_ right?"

"Yeah. Until Aunt Rosaline ran him over with a carriage."

"I'm sure he didn't _feel_ it." Skywind shook his head, exhausted. "My _point_ is; you _loved_ that turte, and you wouldn't have traded it for _any puppy_ in the _world._ Right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, sweetie, I feel the same way about _you."_ The king wrapped his arms around her for reassurance. "I am _not_ going to love you any _less_ because of this boy. In fact, I guarantee that I will love you _even more_ now that this boy has come along. You will _always_ be my precious daughter, and _nothing_ will ever change that. I _promise."_

Jeshica's lips finally curled up and she returned the embrace. "Thank you, daddy."

"Now, will you _please_ come see your brother?" He pleaded. "I think you'll like him."

Reluctantly, Jeshica followed her father into the master bedroom, where her weary mother cradled the newborn infant. As the teenage princess got closer, she noticed the baby's bright green eyes and a curl of red hair. He was almost a spitting image of their father if it weren't for the lightning bolt birthmarks on his cheeks. "What's his name?"

"Hmm. We still haven't decided." Skywind admitted.

"Oh! Why don't we name him after your _grandfather?"_ Gem-ivine offered.

Hymnal's nose crinkled up in disgust. _"'Tiberius?'_ Are you _kidding me,_ darling?"

"No…" The king's eyes lit up as an idea popped up. "Let's name him after _your_ grandfather. _Solarius."_

"I _like_ it." Jeshica admitted, trying to hide the glowing clover-shaped marks on her cheeks. "Can… can I _hold_ him, mom?"

"Of course, sweetie!" Gem-ivine smiled brightly as she handed the newborn baby into her daughter's arms. Solarius gazed up at his sister with a gleam in his eyes. The queen smiled at the sight of her children together. "Isn't he cute?"

Not sure of what to do now, the princess gently tickled under the baby's chin, enticing a soft laugh. Jeshica was hypnotized by her new brother's giggling. Her heart throbbed as she held him closer, smashing his face against hers. "Oh, my Stump… he's _perfect._ I _love_ him!" She cried. "As the princess of Mewni and older sister, I swear that I will cherish and protect this sweet little nugget for the rest of my life!"

"Aw, that's so _adorable!"_ The queen gushed.

"And I will _eviscerate_ anyone who _dares_ to bring him harm!" The mathematician's voice grew significantly darker, as she squeezed the baby tighter.

"... getting a little _less_ adorable…" Skywind muttered, sharing a nervous glance with his wife.

 _ **She was just a girl,**_

 _ **But she could dream,**_

 _ **So goes the sad tale**_

 _ **Of Jeshica, the Un-king.**_

 **To Be Continued!**


	7. Solarius: A Castle Stormed

**ACT III: Solarius, The Monster Carver Chapter 1: A Castle Stormed**

Jeshica Dragonfly-Spiderbite, Prime Minister of her family's kingdom, had been summoned to the castle for a special occasion. In a week's time, her younger brother, Solarius, would inherit the magic scepter and begin studying under Madame Indexia. But before his big day, she would be treating her favorite little boy to one last night of no responsibilities.

Although she was jealous at first, Solarius soon became Jeshica's most beloved relative. She knew better than anyone how much pressure came with the scepter, and although she was initially upset about having her family's heirloom taken from her, a part of her felt relieved to no longer worry about the crippling responsibility. So, in honor of the upcoming event, she would insure that her little brother had the time of his life.

Once she entered the dining hall, she placed her satchel on the table and took a seat. It wasn't long before the royal chef presented her with a plate of breakfast scones made just the way she liked them. She thanked the chef, asked him to inform her family of her arrival, and opened up her satchel. Despite her current mission, she still needed to handle a few minor issues back in the Spiderbite Kingdom. One of which happened to be creating a cure for poisonous spider bites.

But while she was busy enjoying her scones and double-checking her calculations, a shadowy figure watched her from the room's chandelier. The hunter observed his prey with a greedy look in his eyes as he slowly moved back up into the rafters. Without making a sound, he expertly slithered down the drapes and crept up behind the unsuspecting prime minister. Inhaling deeply, he prepared a mighty roar that would frighten his prey into submission before going in for the kill.

"Don't. Even. _Think_ about it." Jeshica warned without even looking up.

Solarius slowly released the air from his cheeks, disappointed in his failure. "How'd you know it was _me?"_ He asked, sitting next to her.

"I'm your _big sister._ I know _everything."_ She snarked, playfully rubbing her brother's scarlet locks. "So, how've you _been_ since my last visit?"

"Out of trouble." Solarius replied before swiping one of her scones. "So _far._ I still haven't got my _Mewberty wings,_ yet." He sighed, pointing with his thumb towards his bare back.

"You _will!_ You're just… a _late bloomer!_ I mean, I see a little bit of _stubble!"_ Jeshica cooed and pinched his cheeks. "Are you _excited_ for next week? You're finally gonna get the scepter and magic book. That'll be _cool,_ right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Solarius shrugged. "Honestly, I haven't really given it much _thought."_

"What do you _mean_ you haven't given it much thought?" His sister almost sounded insulted. "It's an incredible _honor!_ And let me tell you, the _first time_ you hold it?Oooh, it still gives me _shivers_ just thinking about it. All that _raw power_ at once. So _intoxicating._ What could _possibly_ be more important to you?"

Solarius dropped his breakfast pastry and leaned back into his chair. "Promise not to tell dad?" A small nod encouraged Solarius to continue. "Hekapoe and Rhombulie have been teaching me how to fight. And I _know_ what you're going to say; 'we have an _army_ to protect us from the monsters. There's no need to focus on delusions of grandeur.' But ever since what happened to _mom_ last year, I just can't sit on a _throne_ and think about how _scared_ are people are all the time."

"Solarius, _darling…"_ Jeshica rubbed her temples in frustration. "We _all_ miss mom. But there are _some things_ that not even _we_ can control."

"Well, my friends and I think _differently."_ Solarius replied, confidently. "I've even talked _Milo_ into joining my crusade. What do you think of _that?"_

"Milo _Loveberry?"_ Jeshica questioned as she scribbled a few more calculations. "Isn't he the kid who got scared by a _butterfly?"_

"Well… _yes."_ The prince rubbed his neck, embarrassed. "But he's _working_ on it! Plus, if needed, I learned about a special potion to induce bravery from Alphys."

"Alphys?" Jeshica's ears perked up. Her attention was fully focused on her brother now, as she slid her paper, pen, ink, and breakfast away from her. "Who's _Alphys?_ Where'd you meet? Have you two _kissed_ yet? What's her _job?"_

"Aheh, I thought you knew _everything."_ The prince remarked, slyly.

"Oh, _come on!"_ Jeshica beamed. "I want to know _all_ the details!"

"There _are_ no details." He groaned, rolling his eyes. "We're _just friends._ I'm really not that interested in romance." Seeing his older sister pout, Solarius sighed in exasperation. "Alright, you can ask about _three things._ And that's all."

"Deal!" She agreed, and began her interrogation. "First item: what's she do for a living?"

"Well, she learned _fishing_ from her parents, but after they were eaten by a _sea monster,_ she lied about her age and joined the royal navy." Solarius' eyes widened upon realization. "Uh, don't tell Aunt Rosaline I said that."

"Uh… _okay._ I _guess."_ Jeshica shrugged. "Okay, second topic of discussion; Is she the _same age_ as you?"

"No, not exactly."

"Oh, so she's _younger?"_

"No."

Jeshica let out a gasp of surprise. _"Older!_ How _much_ older?!"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it _does~!"_ She pressed on in a sing-songy tone. "Does my baby brother have his eyes set on a _mature, silver fox?"_

"Ew, no!" He laughed. "She's only _five years_ older than me, okay?"

"Eh, that's not _too_ bad." The older sibling shrugged once more. "Third; where's she _live?"_

"She inherited her parent's boat and she's been building up on it ever since. It's very _nice._ A full _kitchen,_ five _bedrooms,_ even a _bathroom."_ He concluded. "And that concludes our discussion on the matter."

"Fine. But I expect to _meet_ her in the future." Jeshica conceded. The Prime Minister stood up from her seat and straightened her outfit. "Anyway, I came to show you a fun time before your big day, and we Spiderbites _always_ keep our promises. So, what would you like to do?"

"Well, I _would_ like that, Jeshica, but…" Solarius sighed and rose from his seat. "Dad wants me to spend this whole week brushing up on the ceremony."

"Seriously? He won't give you _one_ day off?"

"So, thanks anyway, but… I have a study session with Indexia." The prince wandered down the hall with a somber expression. On the way to his room, Solarius stopped in front of a suit of armor and removed the helmet. He placed it over his head and admired his reflection in a nearby vanity. But when he tried to remove it, his hair was caught in the seams.

"Ow! Dammit!" Once he was finally freed, he angrily threw the headgear away. "Maybe I should consider a _haircut."_ He thought to himself.

"Ah, _there_ you are." Skywind called out to his son, holding a change of clothes under his arms. "Get changed and meet me in the ceremonial chambers. We'll begin the rehearsal in twenty minutes."

"Do I _have_ to wear this?" The son groaned.

"Yes. By order of King Hymnal before me, when inheriting the royal scepter, one _must_ be dressed appropriately."

"Since when do _you_ care about what grandpa wanted?" He muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Solarius ran to his room to change, trying to escape his father's glare. Later, the prince was still tugging at his collar by the time he stepped inside the chamber. The tie was nearly choking him, the jacket was restricting, his shoes were too small, and his pants were too itchy.

"Quit messing around with your clothes and get _up_ here!" Skywind barked. Solarius rolled his eyes and made his way to the podium. "And _straighten_ your _back!_ A king never _slouches!"_

Begrudgingly, Solarius obeyed his father and corrected his posture. Once he and his father were face to face, he respectfully kneeled before his king. Skywind balanced the scepter with his palms, reciting an ancient code passed down from previous generations. Then, he looked down at his son. "Prince Solarius Dragonfly. Son of Skywind. You are the twenty-ninth person to inherit the scepter of King Brian Dragonfly. Recite your vows of honor, as tribute to your forefathers."

Solarius licked his lips and cleared his throat. "Uh… this is an _honor_ and a _privilege._ With the scepter in my hands… I will… perfect?" He looked down at the markings on his palm. "Sorry, _protect_ Mewni, from-"

Skywind grabbed his son's hand and irritably reviewed the writing. "What the hell is _this?"_

"Notes." The prince replied, sheepishly. "Just in case I get lost."

"I told you to _memorize_ them!" The king pulled the boy back to his feet so he could look into his eyes. "You were supposed to schedule in enough time along with your regular studies!"

"I'm _sorry,_ okay?" The prince countered. "I was _busy._ I guess I forgot."

"Oh, _did_ you? Or did you just _ignore_ my instructions?" The patriarch crossed his arms as he continued. "You forget that Indexia still serves _me_ as well. She's told me that you hardly _pay attention_ to the lessons I've assigned you."

"But dad, it's so _boring!_ Most of it doesn't even have anything to do with being a king! Where's the _battle_ strategies? The defense protocols? I haven't even learned how we're going to expand the kingdom!"

"That's what your _squire_ s for! Which you still haven't decided! And the lessons _are_ important. By studying previous spells, you'll learn to create your own. Why are you being so _difficult? I_ never gave your _grandfather_ this much grief when _I_ inherited the scepter-"

"Oh, for the love of _Stump!"_ Solarius tore off his bow tie and threw it to the ground. "Here we go _again! 'You, you, you, you, you!'_ Get it through your _thick, intellectual skull,_ dad! I'm _never_ gonna be like _you!"_ With his rage subsiding, Solarius rubbed his forehead in exhaustion. "I mean… I don't _get it,_ dad… can't you just _love me_ for who I _am?_ Not… for who you _want me_ to be?"

"NO!" Skywind bellowed, harshly. Solarius took a step back out of shock. "I _need_ you to be more like _me!_ Our _people_ need you to be more like me! Look at the way your _grandfather_ ran this kingdom! If you don't _wise up,_ you'll end up _just like_ him: _despised_ and _unwanted!_ I didn't let it happen to _me_ or _Jeshica,_ and I won't let _you_ ruin yourself like that!"

Solarius' heart ached at his father's statement. His eyebrows knitted together as he looked away. "I _hate_ you." He muttered.

"What?!"

"I said I _hate_ you!" Solarius snapped. "I never _asked_ to be a prince! I never asked for this… this _pampered life!_ All you ever do is _push_ all your expectations onto _me!_ You never ask me what _I_ want!"

"That's _it!_ Go to your _room!"_ Skywind pointed to the staircase. "You can _come down_ when you've come to your senses!"

"Fine!" As he was just entering the doorway, Solarius turned around for one last remark before slamming the door. "Oh, and if you're not too _busy,_ could you just _go to Hell?!"_

* * *

Three hours went by, and Solarius hadn't heard any more from his father. A tiny pebble tapped his window, earning his attention. Just as he opened the window sill, another pebble hit him in the eye. "Ow!"

"Solarius! Hurry! Let me in!" Once his vision cleared, the prince saw a scrawny peasant boy close to his age, dressed in humble garbs. It was Milo Loveberry; Solarius' best friend from a smaller settlement near the kingdom's defensive wall. "Let me in! Solarius, let me in, please!"

"Milo? Okay, hang on!" The prince wondered which of his friend's absurd phobia had been triggered this time, but he knew that panic attacks were no joking matter. After digging around in his closet, he found the rope, tied it to his bed post, and tossed the other end out the window. And just like countless times before, Milo climbed fifty feet into the prince's room.

"Solarius!" The poor boy struggled to catch his breath. "Solarius, there's… th-there's a… a muh… muh-muh… there's a mon…"

"For pity's sake, Milo, speak the king's Mewman!"

"I-I-I-I-I-!"

"Eye-eye-eye? 'Eyeball?' Are you trying to say 'eyeball'"

"I saw a _monster!"_ Milo said, at last. "I saw a _big, scary monster!"_

"You saw a big, scary monster?" Solarius cocked a curious eyebrow. "What's the big deal? I mean, I hate them as much as the next guy, but they can't do any harm outside the walls."

"No! No, this one was _inside_ the walls! And it was _big!_ I mean, bigger than my _house!_ Bigger than _twenty houses!_ And it had these _ugly, yellow fangs!_ And _tentacles! Long, slimy tentacles!_ I swear to Stump, I was so _scared,_ Solarius, I just-!"

A strong hand clasped over the peasant's mouth, and Solarius leaned in closer. "... _show_ me."

But before anything else could be said, the duo heard screaming coming from downstairs. The castle floor nearly shook apart, causing both of them to fall. "Oh, no! It's _here!"_

"You stay _here!_ Hide under the _bed!_ I'll come back for you!" The prince lifted his pillow to grab his scabbard and shield before rushing out the door. Following the sound of screams, he jumped over collapsed pillars and maneuvered around piles of rubble. By the time he reached the main hall, he spotted the monster feasting on a group of delegates from the smaller towns. He was just about to engage when Skywind blasted the creature with a simple attack spell.

The monster retaliated with a powerful blow that slammed the king's head against the stone wall, rendering him unconscious. Luckily, Jeshica had been with her father before the attack, and activated her Mewberty form to protect him. Unfortunately, it had been so long since she used her body's natural reserves that she had forgotten how to properly distribute it. The monster was pushed into a load bearing wall, causing the ceiling to collapse. Solarius pressed his back against the wall as the monster retreated down another hallway.

"Jeshica?!" He called. "Can you hear me?! Jeshica!"

The rubble was too thick. No one could hear him no matter how loud he screamed. He starting digging away at the debris when he came across the familiar sight of his family heirloom. Fearing the worst, the prince tucked the scepter into his belt and started digging faster. _"No, please…"_ He thought. _"Please, don't let that be the last thing I ever said to him! I didn't mean it!"_

Just then, another scream drew his attention. "Milo…?" Abandoning the blockade, Solarius ran down the hallway, following the screams. His pace soon quickened as he realized he was following the monster's path. "Milo?! Milo?! MILOOOOOOOOOOO?!"

At last, he found his best friend in the clutches of the beast. Milo squirmed and struggled, but the monster was too hungry to let him go. The boy's face turned blue just as the disgusting monster slowly lowered him towards its mouth.

Without hesitating, Solarius rushed towards the hideous beast with the weapon firmly held in his grasp. A mighty bellow rumbled from his throat, startling the monster into dropping Milo to the cold floor. The prince of Mewni used his momentum to propel himself into the air, and soon felt liquid warmth splash over his face. The monster recoiled in agony, furious over the loss of its limb. The beast eyed its attacker with a wrathful glare.

Solarius and Milo covered their ears to spare themselves from the deafening roar that echoed through the castle. Nevertheless, the future king stood his ground; he would let no harm come to his best friend. The hulking monster's tendrils shot forward, trying to corner its prey. But much to its dismay, the Mewman boy would not be taken easily.

Solarius blocked each attack with his wooden shield, while the cold steel of his blade tore green flesh asunder. But as the battle carried on, his muscles grew weary, his vision blurred, his joints ached, and eventually his sword and shield slipped from his hands. Milo watched in horror as one last green tendril snaked around Solarius' ankle and lifted him over the monster's head, feeling powerless to do anything. But just as all hope seemed lost, the peasant boy spotted the magic scepter lying next to him.

"SOLARIUS!"

The prince looked towards his best friend just in time to see him throw his family heirloom at him. He had to admit; for a weakling, Milo could throw better than anyone else he knew. Just as his fingers wrapped around the scepter's hilt, Solarius was dropped into the monster's mouth.

Milo screamed at the top of his lungs, mourning the loss of his friend. The monster swallowed its bounty with a sinister cackle before crawling towards the other Mewman. The peasant cowered before the beast, waiting for the inevitable. But just as the monster was about to feed again, its face contorted in pain. Milo was confused as it wrapped what was left of its tendrils around its stomach. Without warning, a dark red flame burst through the monster's stomach, and Solarius let out a violent, primal scream as he pushed his way through the cut.

The prince fell to his knees, coughing and vomiting up the monster's blood. The rancid taste was almost enough to keep him down, but the monster wasn't finished yet. Solarius gazed down at his family's most prized possession, which now resembled a battle axe, and tightened his grip. Jeshica was right; the power _did_ feel intoxicating. Looking back at his opponent, Solarius twirled his scepter before confidently strolling towards the bleeding behemoth. Both Milo and the monster shuddered as the prince's eyes twinkled in delight.

* * *

Hours later, Rosaline and the royal guard had driven off the rest of the monster horde while Jeshica and her husband tended to the injured. Skywind, on the other hand, was desperately searching through the rubble for a particular red-haired boy.

"Solarius?!" He called. "Solarius, where are you?! Son!"

"Dad, calm _down!_ We're gonna find Solarius!" Jeshica tried her best to soothe her father's nerves, but deep down she was just as fearful for her brother's life. _"He's got the_ scepter, _right?"_ She thought to herself, nervously. _"He should be fine… right?"_

"Your majesty!" One of the guards raced into the room, struggling to catch his breath. "I found a trail of blood leading into the foyer!"

Skywind and Jeshica raced down the hallway with their hearts pounding against their chests. Rosaline led a barrage of soldiers right behind them, armed to the teeth and ready to fight. But to their surprise, all they found was Solarius and Milo resting against a giant green corpse.

It didn't take long for the king to notice that the blood caked over his son's skin did not belong to him. "Solarius…? You _killed_ a monster? On your _own?"_

"No, your majesty…" Milo breathed heavily in amazement. "He didn't just _kill_ it. He _carved_ it!"

Nobody said a word; they were too scared to do anything. At last, Jeshica helped her brother up to his feet before kneeling before him. "Well done, Prince Solarius… the _monster carver!"_

Solarius gawked as the denizens all followed in the prime minister's example and kneeled before the prince. As for the boy, himself, his eyes fell upon his father, who slowly marched towards him. But instead of contempt or disappointment, Skywind's expression was that of pride. "Well, you heard the woman, people!" He exclaimed, raising his son's hand into the air. "All hail Solarius! The Monster Carver!"

"HAIL SOLARIUS! THE MONSTER CARVER!"

 **To Be Continued!**


	8. Solarius: Building an Army

**ACT III: Solarius, the Monster Carver Chapter 2: Building an Army**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: Blood and gore, and suggestive themes ahead.**

 _"Momma?" The young prince climbed the steps of his parents' tower one dark and rainy night. A frightening noise had stirred the boy from his peaceful slumber. At first, he thought it might have been thunder in the distance, but after no lightning had flashed, he had grown suspicious. As he continued onward, he called out to his mother, hoping to hear her voice in reply. But once he reached the wooden door, he saw a dark red liquid seeping out from behind._

 _Lizardmen; a vile and devious species of monster, hated even among other monsters. Solarius gazed into the yellow eyes of the beast that had finished feasting upon his mother's flesh. "MOMMA!" He cried out in anguish._

The cry echoed around the castle, prompting five guards to storm into their king's chambers. "Your majesty! Are you alright?"

Solarius rubbed his hand over his face, wiping the icy droplets of perspiration from his skin. As his gaze shifted to the window, the moonlight reflected in the glass. Many years had passed since Solarius inherited the family scepter, and the warrior king still suffered from that dreadful memory. Eventually, his breath had steadied enough for him to dismiss his guards.

Disinterested in sleep, he threw away his covers and moved to his desk. The spellbook was soon opened up to his chapter, and his teacher rose out from the pages. "Good evening, Indexia." He murmured, tiredly.

"Good evening, m'lord." She bowed, in reply. "Another nightmare, Solarius?"

"Yes, Indexia…"

"Is it the same nightmare, or were there any _alterations?"_

"No, Indexia. It's the _same."_ He sighed. "It's _always_ the same. Is Hekapoe awake?"

"At _this_ hour? I would imagine so."

"Please, give him a call on the mirror for me."

"As you wish."

Soon enough, the magic mirror displayed the interior of the Eternal Forge. Hekapoe dipped a pair of newly crafted scissors into the quench tank before acknowledging the call. "You rang, your majesty?"

"I want the Commission to assemble the delegation at my war room tomorrow. It is time to address what we will do about the monster hordes. We will meet at dawn."

"As you command, King Solarius." Hekapoe bowed. "Anything else?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you, Hekapoe." With that, Solarius ended the call and returned to his bed.

"Additionally, sire, you have an incoming call from your father." Indexia chirped.

"... just _ignore_ it." Solarius grunted, and went back to sleep.

The next day, every representative from the smaller kingdoms of Mewni had been assembled early in the morning. The Spiderbites, the Waterfolk, the Jaggy Mountains, the Pony Heads, and even the princess of the Underworld waited patiently for their king to arrive. At last, Solarius entered the war room last, taking his seat among the others. His clothing consisted of an enchanted leather armor that would protect him in battle. For a moment, the room was devoid of all sound.

It wasn't until Solarius' eyes landed on the Spiderbites' chair that he spoke up. "Warner Spiderbite." He said. "I was expecting either my sister or step-brother to attend."

"Sorry to _disappoint,_ your majesty." The baron replied, trying not to sound offended. "But given that this is a matter of _war,_ I offered to come in place of my nephew."

"Very well." The king nodded. "Now, ladies and gentlemen of Mewni… I have gathered you all here to discuss my plans for a war against the monsters." The gathered delegates screamed, hysterically. Some of them got up on the table, others were frantically running around the room. No king had ever remotely suggested declaring war against the monster hordes. Solarius observed their reactions; he saw the fear in their eyes.

"Shoot him!" Fineas Dilute of the Waterfolk cried out.

"Cut out his tongue!" Rafael Johansen added.

"Shoot him _and_ cut out his tongue!" Hekapoe suggested, gleefully, treating the situation like a game. "Then _shoot his tongue!"_

"Order! Order! I said, _order!"_ Solarius struck the rod of his scepter against the floor, trying to quiet down the room. "Now, I understand your _fears,_ but with our _combined strength,_ we have a chance!"

"We don't need to attack the _monsters!"_ Baron Spiderbite voiced his concerns. "The mystic barrier will keep them away from our kingdoms!"

"Yes." Solarius growled at the baron's cowardice. "The barrier _will_ protect the _kingdoms,_ but what about the villages _outside_ the barrier? What about _them,_ huh? It our _duty_ \- _my_ duty - to protect the people of Mewni! And that's not _easy_ when the rest of you insist on _cowering_ in these _safe places!"_

"But my liege-"

"SILENCE!" Solarius angrily ordered the king of the Pony Heads to bite his tongue. Once the gathered leaders settled down, the magical king calmed himself. "Now, I do not want you to think that I have not thought this _through._ Indexia told me of Mewni's past. Before the kingdom was as big as it was today, the monster's mostly resided in the Forest of Certain Death. It wasn't until two centuries ago that those wretched beasts started raiding expansionists, prompting King Gryphon to build the barrier around the major kingdoms.I plan to build an _army._ One powerful enough to _force_ the monsters _back_ into the Forest of Certain Death!"

"Begging your pardon, my king." Duchess Onyx of the Jaggy Mountains politely raised her hand. "As you are all well aware, my people are one of the only three kingdoms _not_ protected by the magic barrier, the other two being the Cloud Kingdom which resides in the sky, and the Underworld. My castle and my people are protected by the heavy mountain terrain. But every three seasons, we send out a trade drive into the other kingdoms to stock up for winter supplies. And every time the assigned group makes this journey, they fall under siege, losing half of the supplies and at least _one_ person. Multiple times, we have tried to fend off the attacks, but none of us have ever had proper training or weaponry. What chance could we have _now,_ while the monsters still _outnumber_ us?"

Solarius smiled and leaned back in his seat. "Milo? Could you come in here, please?" Sure enough, the scrawny Milo Loveberry walked into the war room, dressed in armor two sizes too big. "Please show these delegates the new _trick_ I taught you, squire."

"With _pleasure,_ my king." Milo squatted into a defensive stance and growled, menacingly. The congregation gasped in shock as the weakling's body mass started to expand. Solarius stood up, unveiled a blade, and broke it against his squire's super-dense skin.

"Milo Loveberry, my faithful squire, is but the _first_ of my new army of magically enhanced soldiers for my army." The king explained. "The spell increases his _strength, speed, stamina,_ and _courage!_ He is the _perfect_ soldier!"

"Impressive." Baron Spiderbite spoke up. "But it will take _more_ than _one_ soldier to defeat the entire monster horde."

"I know this." Solarius admitted. "Which is why I will scour the land for more volunteers from each and every kingdom. And I think I know where to _start…"_

* * *

 **Mewni's Wharf.**

 _"~ Fifty men on a dead man's chest! ~ Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! ~"_

The tavern was full of thirty merchant sailors, drinking in celebration from another successful trade deal. Among them was Captain Alphys Gibbs, an ex-captain from the royal navy. Her hostility towards monsters often caused her to act irrationally when faced with a raiding party, putting the members of her crew at risk. She was discharged from service, and forced to turn to commercial exploits in order to maintain custody of her father's ship.

 _"~ Drink and the Devil had done for the rest! ~ Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!~"_ She laughed, swallowing the bitter liquid.

Suddenly, the tavern's door flung open, and the patrons fell deathly silent. Alphys giggled and took a seat in the corner of the establishment, inviting her old friend to sit with her. "... your majesty." She greeted.

"Captain." He replied. "I need your help."

"What you _need_ is a _drink."_ She slurred. "Hey! Hogwash!"

"It's _Hogwise!"_ The bartender corrected, irritably.

"Whatever! Send over two more cups of mead!" She turned away from the owner to face her ruler. "Oh, yeah, you want anything?"

"Stump, Alphys." Solarius sighed. "I need your help in looking for soldiers for a new army. I'm leading a crusade against the monster horde."

"Then you're a _dead man."_ She snorted. "No one in their _right mind_ would follow the son of a _bureaucrat_ into battle. You'd have better luck trying to breed a _shark_ with a _seal."_

"So what?" the king scoffed. "I should just _give up?_ Wallowing in _self-pity_ and _booze?"_

"Watch it." She growled.

"Alphys, I… I can't do this on my own." He pleaded. "You have connections that would _jumpstart_ my quest to build an army. And of course, I'd be willing to pay you _handsomely_ for your efforts. I could even give you your rank in the navy back! Together, we can create a world where _no child_ will ever have to witness their loved ones being killed by those _savages ever again!"_

Alphys groaned and leaned back in her seat, considering his offer. But before she could reply, a commotion stirred outside. Solarius reached for his scepter, only to watch Alphys draw her musket pistol and bolt out the door. It turns out, the citizens outside were being harassed by four monsters. A size-shifter led two frogmen and a kappa on a raid, terrorizing the merchants in the process.

"Halt, beasts!" Solarius drew the monsters' attention as two of his guards joined him. "You are trespassing on this land and in kingdom of my forefathers! Leave now, or there will be trouble!"

"Pitiful Mewman." The size-shifter snarled. "This land was _never_ yours. Your kind _stole_ it from us. And now, my spies tell us that you plot to _wipe us out._ We will not let that happen. Kill them all!"

"Wait a minute!" Alphys spoke up, causing both brigades to freeze in place. "Wait a minute. I'm sorry, just… let me see if I understand this, _correctly._ You will fight against _them,_ they will fight against _you,_ all on account of _him_ wanting to kill _him?_ I say, let _them_ fight _each other!_ While the rest of us just _sit back, watch,_ have a _drink,_ and place some _wagers!_ Eh? _Eh?"_

"Enough talk!" The size-shifter growled, picking up Alphys. "You will _all_ die!"

Acting quickly, Solarius struck a pressure point in the shifter's arm, forcing it to release the sea captain, who easily gunned down the kappa. The two guards fearlessly engaged the frogmen in an full frontal attack. The captain rose to her feet and fired her remaining ammunition at the backside of the size-shifter while Solarius kept it distracted.

His mystic axe made short work of the wooden club, and the monster was now unarmed. It tried to use its own claws and fangs to tear apart its enemy, but it proved to be a useless effort against the combined efforts of the king and the sea captain. Solarius decided to finally end the conflict and cast a powerful firebolt spell that incinerated the beast before turning to check on Alphys.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. So, about that army?"

The duo beamed with pride, listening to the citizens sing their praises.

* * *

 **Mewman Sea.**

Needless to say, after Solarius' display of his own might, countless citizens throughout Mewni had volunteered to become Solarian Warriors. But the war had only just begun. Jeshica and the Magical High Commission were placed in charge of diplomatic exploits, while Milo was given a small army to patrol villages outside of the magic barrier.

As for Solarius, himself; he opted to accompany Alphys and her fleet on a year-long mission to reclaim the monster-occupied islands above the Waterfolk Kingdom. Being the chivalrous ruler that he was, Solarius paid his friend in advance and even provided her with a replacement ship while her father's was being repaired. Best of all, he reinstated her as an official captain of the royal navy, christening her Alphys "The Worthy."

The moonlight reflected off of the surface of the water on the first night of their voyage, much to Solarius' enjoyment. However, he didn't have much time to enjoy the scenery, as Alphys invited him into her room later that night. The sea captain locked the door behind her before moving to close the curtain on her window. "Alphys?" Solarius spoke in an oblivious tone.

"I just wanted to thank you, my king." She smiled, softly. "After all, you _did_ rescue me. You deserve a _reward."_ While she joined him on the bed, she shrugged off her heavy coat and unbuttoned her blouse.

The young king blushed, brightly. "W-what are you _doing?"_

"Oh, I don't _know."_ She replied, slyly; untying her corset, now. "What _am_ I doing?"

As the space between them grew smaller, Solarius' inhibitions melted away. Their lips joined in a deep, passionate kiss before she pinned him to the bed. Upon contact with the satin covers, the king's mind snapped back to reality. "No!" He protested, pushing her off of him. "I-I'm _sorry,_ Alphys. You're a _very_ beautiful woman. But you should know that I have no _interest_ in taking a queen."

"What a _coincidence;_ I have no interest in _becoming_ one." She replied. Her ruler looked confused; uncertain of how to process the information. The older woman couldn't help but giggle at his naivety. "Stump behold, Solarius. I'm not asking you to _marry_ me. I just want to show you how a _sailor_ has a pleasant evening. And if you show me a _better_ evening… perhaps I can _extend_ the time my crew is in your service."

The warrior king smiled, hungrily. "The things I do for Mewni."

* * *

 **One Year Later...**

Jeshica felt elated. She had successfully negotiated a treaty with the Underworld's army, and now her little brother was returning from the Waterfolk isles. "Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Oh, boy!" She squealed with joy, bouncing up and down on the docks. "My little brother is coming home! I wonder what he'll _look_ like."

A few minutes later, Alphys' ship docked and the High Commission bowed in respect. Jeshica rushed up onto the ship's deck at first sight of her favorite relative, wrapping him in her arms. But her excitement faded away at the sight of his nervous expression.

"Aheh, uh, Jeshica?" The King of Mewni was drenched in sweat as he smiled, nervously. "My _dear, darling sister._ Have I told you how much I _love you?"_

Jeshica felt a knot forming in her chest. Not even when fighting monsters three times his size did her little brother look so scared. "What did you _do?"_

Solarius gulped hard and stepped away from the boat, helping Alphys onto the dock. To contrast the king, the sea captain was blissfully smiling, carrying something wrapped in swaddling cloth. Upon closer inspection, the knot in Jeshica's chest disappeared as her heart melted at the beautiful sight. A small baby with shining purple eyes, a curl of green hair, and dual purple spades on his cheeks shifted in his mother's arms.

"Muh… muh… meep…" Jeshica was at a loss for words. It was the most gorgeous baby she had ever seen.

"Jeshica…" Solarius finally relaxed. "Allow me to introduce you to your _nephew; Eclipsine."_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's Notes: In the Magic Book of Spells, Solaria's armor appears to be based on leather gladiator armor. As a personal touch, I like to picture Solarius as more of a Viking. Leather under armor for mobility and a few metal plates for protection. His chest still has the heart-shaped crest, though.**


	9. Solarius: Alliances and Family

**ACT III: Solarius, the Monster Carver Chapter 3: Alliances and Family**

Two days after the mission to the isles of the Waterfolk freed from monster oppression, Solarius quickly set about taking on the rest of the kingdom outside the protective barrier. His first order of business was to reassemble the delegates in the war room. Now with the help of the Underworld's army, Mewni had a chance to fight against the monsters.

While Alphys was busy with her crew, preparing for the next assignment, Solarius had gone ahead to meet with his council. On his way there, he stopped to speak with Milo to make sure that his best friend was not overwhelmed by the crippling responsibilities of being a general. Thankfully, the spell that had increased his squire's strength had also greatly increased his confidence. Milo had whipped his own brigade into shape while his friend was away, and bravely kept Mewni's border safe.

With a proud pat on the back, the king left his general back to his work. At last, he entered the war room and got to work, immediately. "Thank you all for coming, ladies and gentlemen." He greeted. "Now, thanks to our victory at the Waterfolk isles, and my sister's alliance with the Underworld, we may look forward to the _future._ Our next assignment will be to send a scouting brigade into the Jaggy Mountains to patrol for monster raids. Afterwards, we will focus on the smaller villages just outside the border, starting with Hirsch Falls. If we can push the monsters back, the people will gain easy access to better food and water. I will personally choose the soldiers and we will leave within two days. Any questions?"

"Uh, actually _yes,_ your majesty…" Rhombulie, the youngest member of the Commission replied. "Why did you bring your son to the meeting?"

Solarius looked down at the slumbering infant, securely strapped to his chest. The king smiled and gently brushed his hand over his son's head before turning back to the crystalline being. "Well, he needed a _nap,_ and I've found that he sleeps _better_ while he listens to my _heartbeat."_

"AAAAWWWW!" Jeshica, Rhombulie, Lekmat, Indexia, and Duchess Onyx gushed at the adorable scene before them.

"If there are no _further_ questions, I declare this meeting _adjourned."_ Solarius declared and made his way back to his son's nursery. He gingerly removed the infant from his harness and rocked him in his arms as he sang. _"~ Leaves from the vine, falling so slow ~ like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam ~ little soldier boy, come marching home ~ brave soldier boy, comes marching home ~"_

He set the innocent boy down in his crib, and quietly closed the door. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he came face-to-face with his sister, who had been standing right behind him. "Can I _help_ you?"

"Please, let me see him!" She begged. "Just one little _peak!"_

"He's _sleeping."_

"Then I'll stay and watch over him!" She offered. "Go talk things out with his mother! _I'll_ look after him!"

"What's there to talk about?"

"I don't know, just _go!"_ The prime minister pushed him out the door, eager to spend time with her nephew. "Now, go!"

Realizing that there was no point in arguing with his sister, Solarius reluctantly left the castle and marched down to the docks. On his way, he spotted the training camps he had established one year ago, pleased to see how many people had volunteered to join the Royal Mewman Military.

Once he arrived at the docks, he approached Alphys' ship and knocked on the hull. The green-haired captain poked her head over the side with a smile on her face. "Permission to come aboard?" The king asked, politely.

She nodded and watched as he made his way up to the deck. "Where's our boy?" She asked, lighting up her tobacco pipe.

"He's back at the castle. He's safe." He promised. "My _sister_ insisted on spending a few hours alone with him. I can't say I blame her, though. You know she can't have kids of her _own?_ Did I ever tell you that?"

"That's _horrible."_ Alphys' face fell. "Maybe… maybe we ought to give her a little bit _more_ than just a few hours." The sea captain stifled a small laugh.

"What?" Her lover's eyebrow arched. "What's so _funny?"_

"Well, I was just _wondering…"_ She giggled. "Maybe the good prime minister could use a _laugh._ How do you think she'd react if I told her about your first _reaction_ to learning that you were going to be a father?"

"Don't even _think_ about it!" He blushed, bright red. "I was… you just took me by _surprise,_ that's all!"

"Hey, I'm just saying it's kinda _funny."_ She chuckled and puffed a ring of smoke. "To think; the 'Monster Carver' fearlessly _leaps_ into battle with a _smile_ on his face. But when a _delicate, young woman_ tells him that she's carrying his _child,_ he just _faints dead away!"_

Solarius rolled his eyes as his lover buckled over, laughing. However, his eyes scanned over the ship, noticing how bare it was. "So… where's your crew?"

"Oh, I gave them the night off." She replied; her laughter quieting down as a coy smirk appeared on her lips. "Why?"

"Well, Jeshica has _Eclipsine…_ your ship is _empty…_ and I'm not needed back with the military for another _two days."_

Alphys emptied her pipe and wrapped her arms around his neck. As he lifted her up to kiss her, her legs snaked their way around his waist for support as he carried her into the bedroom. But as he laid her down on the comforter, he hesitated.

"Is any of this _strange_ to you?" He asked. "I mean, here we are; two people who don't want to get married, yet obviously we feel an attraction towards one another that is _more_ than platonic. And now, we have a _child_ together."

"It's only as strange as we _allow_ it to be, love." Alphys replied, brushing his cheek, gently. "Does this love _mean something_ to you?"

"Yes, of course it does."

"Well, there you _go."_ She smiled. "I don't know about _you,_ but I don't need _traditions_ to tell myself what I feel. I love _you._ I love our _child._ So, how about we just do whatever feels _natural_ and see where it goes?"

"Okay. I like the sound of that." For a while, the lovers sat in complete silence, unsure of what to do next. "Magic Mirror and chill?" He suggested with a smile.

"Hell, _yeah!"_ She replied, and eagerly kissed him.

* * *

 **One Year Later…**

"Try it again…" Solarius commanded.

"My lord, you shouldn't _push_ yourself too hard." Rhombulie suggested.

"Try it _again!"_ He demanded. The king had been trying to unlock his body's natural magic by practicing simple spells without the scepter. Currently, he was practicing the crystal pulverizing spell that would free Mewman soldiers caught in the crossfire of Rhombulie's magic crystals. Reluctantly, the magic warden froze her king's arm in an unbreakable crystal. Solarius spoke the incantation and moved his fingers over the crystal encasing his arm.

But nothing happened. "Damn it!" He cursed and shattered it with his scepter. "I am _thirty years old!_ Why haven't my mewberty powers activated?!"

"Solarius, it's _fine."_ Indexia soothed.

"No, it's _not_ fine!" He snapped. "I can't be any help to the people like _this!_ Last week the monsters took Nefcy Valley! They're getting _bolder!_ And I _still_ can't unlock my full potential! Can this day get any _worse?!"_

"Knock, knock…"

Solarius turned around to see an older man standing behind him. "I _had_ to ask." He grumbled.

"Well, _hello_ to you, too." Skywind scoffed.

"What do you want, Skywind?"

"Well, it's the strangest -" The former king shook his head in disbelief. "Did you just call me _'Skywind?'_ Nevermind. I was in the marketplace the other day, and Rosaline told me the _strangest thing._ Apparently, I have a _grandson_ almost _two years old."_

"Yeah, what of it?"

"What _of_ it?" Skywind pointed to his head. _"Look_ at me, boy! I'm turning _gray!_ I don't know how much time I have _left!"_

"Well, why don't you spend it in an _observatory?!"_ His son grunted. "Or maybe in a _library?!_ That seemed to be the only place that made you _happy!_ Or how about you go to another dimension? Like you did on the day mom _died!"_

"Oh, for the love of-!" Skywind punched the wall, angrily. "How _long_ are you going to blame me for that?! You don't think it _tore me apart_ when I came home that night?! You don't think I wish that I could just say a _magic word_ and bring her _back?!_ You don't think I wanted _revenge?!"_

"I guess _not."_ Solarius sneered. "You were too _weak_ to do anything about it! Well, _I'm not!_ I will carve up _every monster_ if I have to, but I will see to it that mom is avenged!"

"Solarius… my boy…" The King of Hours pleaded. "All I want is to see my _grandchild._ Don't I _deserve_ that? Didn't I take care of _you?_ I taught you how to use the scepter! I taught you how to _lead!_ I _taught_ you to be a _king,_ didn't I?!"

"Yes, you _did,_ Skywind. You did _all_ of that and _more._ But let me tell you what you _didn't_ do! You didn't let me think for _myself!_ You didn't ask me what _I_ enjoyed! You didn't _comfort_ me when mom died! And _now,_ you have the _gall_ to come into _my_ kingdom and judge me?!" Skywind opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Solarius turned to walk away, only to stop at the doorway. After a brief pause, the king sighed and turned back to his father. "... do you _really_ want to meet your grandson?"

Skywind smiled, happily. "Yes… I'd _like_ that."

Suddenly, a scream rang out through the castle, alarming the past and current kings. "That's Alphys!" Solarius cried. He drew his scepter and rushed upstairs with his father close behind. Solarius was practically foaming at the mouth at the thought of his loved ones being harmed by a disgusting monster. At last, he kicked down the door to his child's nursery and pointed his scepter, charging it with a lethal spell.

"What's wrong?! Where's the monster?! Is Eclipsine okay?!"

"Solarius! Get over here!" Alphys beckoned, her voice still hysterical.

Solarius examined the room for monsters; checking under the crib, inside the closet, and outside the window. But there were no threats whatsoever. The king turned back to his lover, "What's the problem?"

"Listen to this!" The sea captain picked up her child, and held him up to his father. "Okay, Eclipsine! Who is this? Who _is_ this?"

Eclipsine giggled, reaching out as far as his arms would stretch. "Da-da! _Da-da!"_

The king dropped his weapons as tears trickled over his smile. "This is the happiest day of my _life!"_ He sobbed, joyfully.

"Da-da! Da-da! Da-da!" Eclipsine repeated as his father took him in his arms. Then, the baby looked past his father's shoulder and pointed. "Buh?"

"Uh…" Solarius bit his lip. It was an awkward situation for both of them, but he finally introduced the boy to the old man. "Eclipsine, my boy, this… this is your _grandfather."_

"Hello, little one." Skywind smiled, wagging a finger at the giggling infant. "My, my, you are quite a _sight!_ I'll bet my _bottom dollar_ that you'll make a big impact on Mewni when your time comes!"

* * *

 **Ten Years Later...**

It was a dark night when Solarius returned from battle with the slimemen. The liquid-like creatures had an uncanny ability to infect Mewman's with a nearly fatal sickness just with one touch. The military had only been able to defeat this special breed by burning them alive with torches. Those who were unfortunate enough to be afflicted by this sickness were being treated but no cure had yet been discovered.

Solarius was tired. All he wanted was to draw a hot bath, prepare a nice meal, and spend a few hours with his son before drifting off to sleep. He climbed up the stairwell towards his boy's room and knocked on the door. "Eclipsine?" He called. "Eclipsine, are you still up? I was thinking we could have a few minutes to talk." Silence. There was no response. "Son? Eclipsine, are you…?" He entered the room and found that his boy was not there. He was just about to suggest to himself that perhaps he had fallen asleep in the library again when he spotted the rope hanging out the window.

"Oh, _no!_ Eclipsine!" In his frustration, he vaporized the rope with his scepter and ran back downstairs. He gave a sharp whistle and his trained warnicorn came galloping around the corner. The king jumped up onto the saddle and rode off into the forest, yelling his child's name at the top of his lungs.

After a few hours, he heard a faint scream coming from the north. He unmounted his steed and quietly peered through the trees. Much to his horror, he saw his son in the clutches of a terrible size-shifter while a hideous bat-monster readied a throwing dagger. "Poor little Mewman boy…" The beast snarled. "Let this be a _lesson_ to you for wandering into _monster territory!"_

But before the blade left the monster's leathery hand, he was painfully tackled to the ground by the mighty king. "YOU! WILL! NOT! TOUCH! MY! SON!" Solarius screamed with every crushing blow to the bat's face.

"Dad!"

Solarius ceased his attack and turned just in time to see the size-shifter running off with the prince still in its grasp. He sliced off the bat's head, whistled for his steed again, and began his pursuit. The monster kidnapper was a crafty being; knocking over trees and throwing rocks in an attempt to hinder him, but with the power of the scepter, he sliced away any and all obstructions. Nothing would keep him from saving his boy.

Slowly but surely, the king soon caught up with the monster and prepared to strike it down in a single blow. But Eclipsine had managed to break free from its hold and stumbled down a steep hill. "No!" Solarius cried and jumped after him, forgetting about the monster. "Hang on, Eclipsine, I'm coming!"

"Dad! _Help_ me!" Eclipsine screamed in terror. He tried to grab on to something to stop his fall, but there was nothing to help. At last, his father grabbed him by his jacket and dug the scepter's magic blade deep into the ground. The king hugged his boy tight to his chest as he carefully pulled them both back up the hill.

"Are you okay? Did that thing hurt you?" Solarius brushed the tears from his son's eyes, examining him for any serious injuries. "Are you alright? Are you _hurt?"_

"No, dad. I'm fine. Really, I'm fine." His son replied, calming down.

"Okay…" Solarius sighed in relief. He then proceeded to slap his son upside the head. "THEN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"Ow! Dad, calm down!" Eclipsine stammered before being dragged towards the warnicorn by the ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, _ow!"_

Since the size-shifter had disappeared, Solarius decided it would be pointless to risk his son's life any further by trying to chase after it. The prince was lifted up onto the trained steed, then his father joined him and took the reins and they began their long journey back to the castle. The king was livid as he reprimanded his son's foolish behavior. "You could have gotten yourself _killed!_ I _told_ you - how many _times -_ it's _dangerous_ to go outside the barrier without me! When your grandmother was eaten alive by a lizardman, _I_ was the one who found her! That image is _seared_ into my mind! Did you want me to have _you_ in a similar memory?!"

By the time they passed through the magic barrier, the king was still ranting and Eclipsine just listened, quietly.

"Why would you _do_ this to me?!" Solarius continued his scolding as he led the boy inside the castle. "For _thirteen years,_ I have tried my _best_ to raise you while taking care of the kingdom and leading an army. Have I been perfect? _No!_ Do I know anything about being a single father? _No!_ Should I have read a book about parenting? _Probably!_ Where was I going with this? I had a point."

"I love you, dad." The prince smiled, sheepishly.

"WELL, I LOVE YOU, TOO!" Solarius bellowed, hysterically. "So, you _march_ up to your bedroom and think about what you've done!"

"Yes, sir." Eclipsine nodded and walked upstairs in shame.

As he watched his child make the climb, the Monster Carver felt a slight ache in his chest. Perhaps he was too hard on the boy. A while later, after checking the barrier and his wounded men, he went up to check on the prince. Since the door was opened, slightly, Solarius peaked inside first. Eclipsine was scribbling his thoughts down in the Great Book of Magic like a personal diary. The king knocked on the door, and his son quickly slammed the book shut.

"Uh, c-come in!"

"Son? Are you alright?" Solarius asked, concerned. "You look a little _spooked."_

"Well, it's… it's been a _long day."_ Eclipsine smiled, putting the book away and headed over to his bed. "Uh, dad? I-I'm _sorry_ that I made you worry. It's just that, I've been so _cooped up_ in this castle, lately. I tried to make some friends but… nobody really likes me. Still, I shouldn't have wandered so _far._ I'm sorry, I-"

"No, _I'm_ sorry." Solarius sat down on the bed and stroked his son's forehead. "I shouldn't have been so _hard_ on you… I _know_ that things aren't very _easy_ with you, being so _isolated_ all the time, but I really _do_ just want to keep you _safe._ You _know_ that, right?"

"Yes, I know, dad." Eclipsine smiled. "And I love you for it."

Solarius kissed his son on the cheek and blew out the candle on his nightstand. "Goodnight, Eclipsine."

"Goodnight, dad."

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's notes: So, from reading the official book, I pretty much assume that Solaria and Alphonse were secretly in a casual monogamous relationship, so that's how I've decided to portray the relationship between Solarius and Alphys.**


	10. Solarius: Rising Tension

**ACT III: Solarius, the Monster Carver Part 4: Rising Tension**

Solarius held his chest as he tried to catch his breath. Ever since he passed the scepter on to his son for his fourteenth birthday, he had been forced to use alternative weapons. Additionally, his age was beginning to catch up to him, and he was slowly losing his physical strength. It proved rather difficult, but he still managed to muscle through each and every battle. Because he knew no matter how weary or how tired he grew, he could never give up until he accomplished his goal of driving the monsters back to the Forest of Certain Death. His kingdom depended on it.

His son depended on it.

However, one day, something completely unexpected happened. One day, while gathering up the casualties of the latest massacre, Solarius was beginning to lose faith in his own cause. That was when a small brigade of monsters approached him, led by a kappa. His name was Klevis, and he had an offer that the king could not refuse.

"Say that again?" The king crossed his arms as he listened to the proposal.

"I said, I have spoken with a representative of each monster colony," Klevis repeated. "And we have all come to the same conclusion: this war is going _nowhere,_ your majesty. _We_ lose some of _our_ men, _you_ lose some of _yours._ And it has carried on like this for almost _twenty years._ So, we propose a _final contest._ One last duel to the _death._ We will volunteer a single fighter, as will _you._ And the winner will determine the fate of Mewni."

"Explain." The king demanded.

"If _your_ fighter emerges victorious, every monster settlement outside the Forest of Certain Death will be abandoned and we will retreat back into the Forest. _However…"_ The monster's smile grew wider. "If _our_ fighter succeeds, your castle will be _ours."_

The Mewman soldiers gasped in shock at the absurd idea, but the king was unfazed. Indeed, it sounded too good to be true, but it would definitely end the war. He looked over at Hekapoe and Rhombulie who had been by his side for protection the entire time. Both members of the Commission seemed to have faith in the idea, but he still wasn't entirely convinced. Asking for a moment to himself, Solarius summoned Indexia.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"I think it's _suicidal,_ my king." She replied. "I told you from the beginning, I don't get involved in wars and politics. Additionally, I can see by that look in your eyes that you plan to volunteer _yourself._ With all due respect, I think you are out of your mind. You are past your prime."

"Tell me something, Indexia." He remarked. "You consider Omnitraxus, Lekmat, Hekapoe, and Rhombulie your children, correct?"

"In a way." The mage nodded.

"Well, if you had a chance to guarantee their safety, would you take it?"

"... of _course_ I would, my liege."

With that, Solarius strutted back to the kappa. "Where will this duel take place?"

* * *

 **Two Weeks Later...**

The leaders of Mewni rejoiced. By tomorrow morning, they would be free from monster threats for good. Solarius had been training ever since the proposal, ensuring that his body would be ready. Jeshica had insisted that he take a few hours to relax before the duel, and so he joined in the celebration.

An umbrella handle pulled on his bicep, earning his attention. Eclipsine was tugging on his arm, wanting to get his attention. "Hey, kid." The king smiled. "Are you alright?"

"Can I talk to you? _Alone?"_

"Yeah. Absolutely."

Solarius followed his son away from the delegates and into the hallway. The prince didn't say anything until the voices quieted down enough. "So you're _really_ going through with this?"

"Yeah, I'm heading out at twilight with your aunt and a few others."

"You know, you don't _have_ to do this, right?"

"Actually, I kinda _do."_

"Dad." Eclipsine stopped walking once they were alone. "Please. Please, don't _do_ this. I can't lose you, _too."_

Solarius tilted his head. "What're you talking about? I'll be _fine._ And even if I'm _not,_ you'll be taken care of-"

"Really?" The prince scoffed, irritably. "So, you're idea of taking care of me is marrying me off to someone I don't like?"

"Who told you that?"

"Indexia! She overheard you talking to Warner Spiderbite and she said you arranged for me to marry his granddaughter!" Eclipsine shuddered, uncomfortably. "That… that _horrible_ woman!"

"But this way, your Aunt Jeshica could still take care of you!" Solarius reasoned.

"Dad, I… I _met_ someone."

"What? Really?" Solarius sounded surprised, but happy. "Why didn't you _tell_ me?"

"Because… because…" Eclipsine struggled to find the right words. "Because you wouldn't _approve_ of her. And I'm afraid if you ever see her, and find out what kind of girl she is, you'd… you'd _hate_ me."

"What?!" Solarius spluttered. "I would _never-"_

"Yeah, you _would,_ trust me." Eclipsine held his head with both hands, clearly frustrated. "You know, it isn't _easy_ being your son. It's bad enough that everybody finds my behaviour _eccentric,_ but now, you arranged for me to marry a _total stranger_ because you let someone convince you that I'm so _terrible_ that I am _incapable_ of finding love on my own! Now I _finally_ find someone who loves me! I _finally_ get a _little happiness_ for myself! And now _this_ happens! Do you think that's _fair?!"_

The king was at a loss for words. It was as if he was meeting his son for the first time. Solarius never denied that his son's hobbies were odd by normal standards - especially after reading over a few of the spells he conjured up in the Great Book - but he never once thought that any of it was something to be ashamed of. So why did the boy think he would be ashamed of him for falling in love?

Eclipsine was still staring at his father, waiting for a reply. It had taken him so much courage to finally speak his mind, but as the king stood there in shocked silence, he wondered if he had just made a huge mistake. At long last, his father rubbed a hand over his mouth, thinking about what to say and how to properly say it.

"You wouldn't _believe_ this, but you used to fit _right here."_ Solarius pointed to his palm. "I'd hold you up to your mother, and I'd say to her 'just wait and see. This kid's gonna grow up to be someone _great._ This kid's gonna be better than _anybody ever knew.'_ And you grew up _good,_ and _strong,_ and _smart,_ and _wonderful._ I savored _every little chance_ I got to watch it happen. It was like a _privilege."_

Eclipsine's face softened, slightly. "And with all my heart, I wanted _nothing more_ than to _stay home_ and make sure you were treated _right._ And now, I see I probably _should have._ Because at some point while I was _away,_ you _changed._ You stopped being _you._ You let all those _stuck-up delegates_ and their _kids_ walk all over you, and say you're _no good._ Just because you're _'weird,'_ or _'creepy,'_ or _whatever._ And when you started to _believe_ them, you stopped _talking_ to me. You wouldn't let me _help_ you. But now that I've _tried_ to help - to do what I thought would be _best_ for you - you decided to _blame me."_

Eclipsine found it hard to look his father in the eyes at this point. Nevertheless, the king went on. "I _never_ wanted to do _anything_ that would hurt you in any way. If you _know_ what you want, then go out and _get_ what you want! But you gotta be willing to _work_ for it! You've always been smart enough to know what's best for you, but you have to _communicate!_ And not go around saying that your life is only miserable because of _him,_ or _her,_ or _anybody! Cowards_ do that, and _that's not you!_ You're _better_ than that! You're better than _them!_ You're better than _me!"_

Solarius took long, deep breaths to calm himself down. The grandfather clock inside rang out to signal ten o' clock, meaning that he needed to wrap up their conversation. The king placed a firm hand on his child's shoulder, tilting his chin up to meet his eyes. "I'll alter my will when we get back." He promised. "But I _never_ wanna hear you say that again. I will _always_ love you, no matter _what._ You're my _son_ and you're my _blood._ You're the _best thing_ in my life. But until you learn not to worry about what others think of you… you're not gonna _have_ a life."

The prince whimpered, touched by his father's words. Solarius pulled the boy close into a tight embrace, which Eclipsine gratefully returned. "I love you, dad." He cried.

"... I love you, too." Solarius sighed and let go of his boy to rejoin the other leaders. "Don't forget to visit your grandparents at the cemetery."

With that, the young boy looked on as his father went back to entertain the delegates.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's note: Sorry if this one's a little short.**


	11. Solarius: The Last Stand

**ACT III: Solarius, the Monster Carver Chapter 5: The Last Stand**

 **Just Outside the Forest of Certain Death**

The full moon. Most people from Mewni considered it comforting, beautiful, and even romantic. But for the warrior king, it served only as a reminder of the night his mother died. Countless nights were spent laying awake, wondering if there was anything he could have done to prevent it. Now, as he lay on his berth, watching over his slumbering companions, he couldn't help but repeatedly relive the entire memory. Jeshica had offered to take his place to let him sleep, but he refused. His nightmares were much more vivid.

Instead, he chose to wait for the monster horde to make their move. Unfortunately, Solarius wasn't very patient, and quickly grew bored. He snaked his hand under his chest piece and pulled out a tattered piece of paper. Unfolding it revealed a colorful drawing that immediately brought a smile to his face. He folded it up again and tucked it back under his armor. Still bored, he reached for his knapsack and grabbed his harp.

"This one's for _you,_ my boy." He sighed, strumming the chords. _"~ Leaves from the vine, falling so slow ~ like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam ~ little soldier boy, come marching home ~ brave soldier boy, come marching home ~"_

For a brief moment, the king felt just as he did fourteen years ago. As if he were back in Eclipsine's bedroom, rocking him to sleep as he sang that wonderful song. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Solarius had lost so much throughout his life, and accumulated so many regrets. But in spite of all the misery and pain he lived through, he always had Eclipsine; his pride and joy. Just thinking of how intelligent and strong his own son was made him believe that his efforts weren't in vain. And after this final battle, Solarius would finally have all the time in the world to watch his son grow up to be a great king.

Sadly, the moment was ruined by a slow, sardonic clap. Solarius dropped his harp, jumped to his feet, and drew both of his swords. The monsters came out from the shadows; each and every species present for the duel. But before anyone did anything regrettable, the kappa Klevis pushed his way through the crowd. "Now, now, let's _calm down,_ gentlemen." He said with his usual tact. "Remember; we are here to settle the conflict between Mewman and Monster once and for all. King Dragonfly, shall we review the agreement one final time?"

"Indeed." Solarius reluctantly put away his weapons just as his companions woke up. "As agreed, I have brought only a few witnesses to the battlefield of choice."

"I can _see_ that." Klevis nodded, surveying the surrounding area. "Second item; we have each selected a representative to battle one another to the death on behalf of the other's respective species."

"And whoever is left standing will determine the fate of Mewni." Solarius concluded. "If the Mewman wins, the monsters are to remain in the Forest of Certain Death. And if the monster wins… you can have my kingdom."

"Wonderful!" Klevis smiled, crookedly. "So… who is the lucky Mewman? Who will represent you?"

 _"I_ will, of course." The king pointed to himself. "And where is _your_ representative?"

The crowd of monsters split apart, creating a straight path for the monsters' champion. Solarius' eyes widened in shock as the tall lizardman came strutting down the path. "Greetings, your majesty." He bowed, facetiously. "I am Mors Caput."

"You… it's _you."_ Solarius clenched his fists. "You killed my mother."

"Ah, that's _right."_ Mors grinned, sinisterly. "I _do_ recall dining on _royalty_ before. It was so _delicious,_ I just _had_ to have it again!"

Solarius angrily turned away from the beast, realizing that he was trying to get a rise out of him. As Caput went about preparing himself, Solarius went to consult his friends. "I don't _like_ this." Rhombulie said, immediately. "Those lizardmen are _invincible!_ They can grow back from _scraps!"_

"You _have_ to call this off, Solarius!" Jeshica begged. "They've _planned_ this! They _knew_ you couldn't defeat a lizard without the scepter!"

"I _can't_ give up, now." Solarius refused. "If I turn back now, the monsters will _never_ retreat!"

"But it's a _lizard!"_ Hekapoe reiterated. "How can you hope to beat him?!"

"... I'll think of something." Solarius assured the group as he picked up a battleaxe to add on to his dual swords. Two frogmen drew a circle for the battle, giving it a twenty foot radius for equal ground.

"Two men enter… _one man leaves."_ Mors cackled. "I'm going to _enjoy…_ peeling your _juicy flesh_ off of your muscles!"

With that, Solarius made the first move. He swung his axe with both hands, knowing that it would entice his opponent to back away. Mors tried to go around, but the king wouldn't let him. With lightning reflexes, Solarius finally dug the axe blade into Caput's chest and used it to throw him to the other side of the ring. He gripped his weapon hard and rushed again.

The lizardman rolled out of the way just in time. The axe was stuck in the ground, giving Mors enough time to regenerate his lost flesh. He slashed at the king's back with his razor-sharp claws, covering his palms with blood. "Hm. Funny; I thought it'd be _blue."_ He snickered and lapped it up.

Solarius growled once he finally pulled his axe free and swatted his opponent away. This time, Mors was more than winded; his rib cage broke and punctured one of his lungs. Injuries such as that took much longer to heal, but still the monster stood his ground. Solarius could see that Caput was weakened, and prepared for another attack.

But while he was at such a distance, Mors drew a simple dagger and expertly threw it into Solarius' arm. Taken by surprise, the Mewman king lost his grip on the axe and stumbled onto the ground. The axe had gone out of the ring, making it out of bounds, but Mors still had both of his weapons.

The dagger seemed to be designed to hook into the victim's muscles, unable to be pulled out. Solarius decided to ignore it and work through the pain. With his axe gone, he drew both of his swords and sliced off Mors' left arm. Soon afterwards, he leapt over his enemy and sliced open his belly. But before he could do any more damage, the king felt a strong sickness overtaking him. He dropped his swords and fell to his knees while Mors' wounds quickly healed up. Looking back down at the knife, Solarius was shocked to see his veins turning black.

"You… you _poisoned_ me!"

"Yes… yes, I _did."_ With the snap of his fingers, Caput commanded ten other monsters to step forward. Four of them went to hold the Commission back while the remaining six kicked and clobbered the warrior king into the ground, worsening his condition. By the time they had grown tired, the ground was soaked with royal blood.

"Ha, ha, ha! Look at the _hero!"_ Mors laughed as the four other monsters kept the Commission pinned. "You thought you could come onto _my_ land, and oppress _my_ people! Now… why don't you just lay there and _watch_ while we _eat your people…"_ The sinister villain stomped on Solarius' back before slowly marching out of the circle, leaving the king to cry into the dirt.

"I'm _sorry,_ Eclipsine…" He whimpered. "I wasn't… I wasn't _strong enough…_ I… I…" His eyes widened in terror. He was patting around his chest piece, but the paper wasn't there. His eyes frantically darted around the area until he spotted it just a few feet away; it must have fallen out from that last punch. Struggling against the pain, he crawled over to the paper, hoping to see him one last time.

"Well, _well._ Found some _lingering strength,_ eh?" Mors cackled and snatched up the paper first. "What's _this?"_

Against all odds, Solarius managed to reach out and grab his enemy's wrist. "Give… me… _that!"_

Caput slapped the defeated king to the ground and opened up the paper. That vicious, threatening smile only grew wider as the vile lizardman showed the drawing to his men. It was a crude drawing of the king and his son walking through a garden. And at the very bottom of the paper were the following words; _"I love you, Daddy. Eclipsine Dragonfly. Age 8."_

"Boys… you can kill _any Mewman_ you want." Mors announced, never once looking away from Solarius. "But this _boy -_ this _Eclipsine -_ is _mine."_

Something snapped inside of Solarius at the sound of those words. It wasn't enough that the lizardman had killed his mother, and was about to pillage his kingdom, but now he had just threatened the most important person in the king's life. That particular threat caused a chain reaction inside the king's heart, and by extension, his body.

Jeshica was the first to notice it. The other members of the Commission were too busy worrying about the monsters, but she hadn't taken her eyes off of her brother. And what she saw was something she thought would never happen. For the first time in his life, Solarius' cheek marks were glowing.

A bolt of lightning flashed across the heavens, drawing the attention of everyone gathered. By some miracle, Solarius managed to ignore the pain and rise back to his feet. The king grit his teeth together, clenched his fists, and threw his head back to scream up into the heavens. In the blink of an eye, his skin changed into a bright red pigmentation, four extra arms sprouted from his torso, a pair of wings grew from his back, and two antennae formed on top of his head. His entire body radiated with so much pent up magical energy that it was almost too intense for the naked eye. There was absolutely no denying it; Solarius had finally unlocked his mewberty form.

His first act was to charge at the monsters surrounding his friends, and throw them away from the wagon. Next, he grabbed a sword in each hand and spiraled towards the beasts, slicing them to shreds. Two slimemen got lucky enough to extend their arms out and hold him still. But just as a conjoinican was about to strike, the king took a deep breath and puffed a strong breath of fire. The conjoinican and both slimemen were burned to a crisp, leaving Solarius free to continue.

Caput could hardly believe his eyes. All that time spent obtaining the poison so that he could easily overpower Solarius had all been in vain. His entire plan was unravelling before him. But he wouldn't allow it. He tackled the king back into the dirt circle, biting and punching and kicking as hard as he could. Suddenly, two hands held Mors' jaws shut, while two more blocked both of his fists, and yet another two hands conjured up a firebolt that blasted the evil monster off of his foe.

Caput's skin was scorched. The fireball had bored a hole all the way through his chest. After a few chokes and coughs, the monsters' champion regenerated and stood up. But Solarius had also recovered. "Why…?" The reptilian growled. "Why won't you _die?!"_

"Because… until I know that my son will be safe to _live_ and _grow…"_ Solarius wiped the blood from his mouth, never once taking his eyes off of the lizardman. "I can't… I _won't_ die!"

Mors growled in exasperation. What was supposed to be an easy victory had turned out to be another exhausting, long-winded conflict. The lizardman clasped his hands together for the killing blow. "Cute trick, your highness!" He snarled, raising his fists high into the air. "But it's still _too weak!"_

"That's because…" Just as the two mighty, reptilian claws came down, one of Solarius' left arms reached up to stop it in mid-air. This sudden act of strength startled both the monsters and the Commission alike. The four extra arms and wings retracted back into the king's body, but his strength hadn't faltered. He was channeling all of his body's natural magic into one final spell. "... my _back_ wasn't in it!"

So many vivid memories and emotions flooded Solarius' mind. The memory of his mother, who taught him to be kind. The memories of his father, who taught him to be strong. The memories of Jeshica, who taught him to be wise. The memories of Milo, who taught him to be persistent. Memories of Alphys, who taught him to love. And most of all, memories of Eclipsine, who taught him to be happy. All of these memories gave Solarius the strength he needed to carry on, as they reminded him exactly what he had been fighting for. The lightning bolts on his cheeks burned brighter than the stars in the sky as his body's magic channeled into his right fist. "Farewell… Mors Caput!"

Fear flickered in Caput's eyes as his opponent pivoted on his heel, shifted his torso, and thrusted forward with a mighty scream. The king's punch made contact with the lizardman's face, crushing him into the hard soil beneath them. And with a furious scream, King Solarius Dragonfly unleashed his most powerful spell, named after the best person he ever knew.

"Total… Eclipse… _ **BLAAAAAAAAAAST!"**_

The spell violently exploded against the monster's skin; burning away every scrap of flesh, every piece of bone, and every drop of blood. Caput roared in agony as his entire molecular structure was being completely vaporized. Cascading shockwaves of power rippled through the air, the earth cracked open to allow hot magma to erupt into the air, and countless bolts of blinding lightning broke free from the sky. The Commission protected Jeshica from the storm, shielding her with their own bodies. The monster army held onto rocks and trees and anything else they could find, not wanting to be swept up into the mystic storm. It only lasted for a few minutes, but to everyone it felt like an eternity.

But just as suddenly as it had begun, it soon ended. As the dust cleared, only one figure was left. The Mewman king was left on his knees, with the poisoned dagger still stuck in his chest. However, the only thing left of the monsters' leader was a pile of ashes. Jeshica and her companions held their breath, unable to predict what would come next.

At last, battered, weary, but unbeaten, Solarius found the strength to stand up. Much to the horror of the remaining horde, the blood-soaked king pointed, menacingly, at them. His throat struggled against him at first, but he finally managed to force three simple words out of his mouth. "... never… come… _back."_

Quivering and shaking, the monsters sprinted away from the battlefield and retreated back into the Forest of Certain Death. "He did it…" Jeshica smiled, brightly. "He did it! He really did it!"

The High Commission cheered in victory. The king had kept his word and pushed back their oppressors. Hekapoe and Rhombulie danced, joyfully, while Jeshica hugged Indexia tight. But the celebration came to an abrupt stop once Solarius collapsed.

"Solarius!" Jeshica yelled, running as fast as she could. The poison had finally taken its toll; spreading throughout his body. "No! No, no, no, no, no, no! Solarius! Solarius, you _can't_ go! We finally _won!_ You need to come _home!"_

"It's alright…" His voice strained, barely louder than a whisper. "Don't you see? I did it, Jeshica…"

"W-what?"

"I-I couldn't… I couldn't _save_ her… mom… I couldn't save her… but I saved _Eclipsine…_ I kept him _safe,_ didn't I?"

"... you _did,_ my liege." Hekapoe nodded, sadly.

With a small smile, Solarius weakly breathed his final words. "Then… there's… there's nothing to regret…"

"Oh, Solarius…" Jeshica wept. "My baby brother… oh, Stump!" The prime minister buried her face into the fallen king's chest. "How am I gonna tell _Eclipsine…?"_

And so, King Solarius died as he lived; protecting the ones he loved from the monsters. Following his death, the Solarian Army continued to guard Mewni in honor of Solarius' memory. The king's body was given a proper burial at sea as instructed in his will. And of course his only son, Eclipsine, inherited the throne at an early age to maintain stability in the kingdom. But that is another story.

 _ **A castle stormed is a hero born,**_

 _ **With might as strong as steel.**_

 _ **Kneels the void before him,**_

 _ **And the crushing force he wields.**_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's note: "Mors Caput" is Latin for "Death's Head." Just in case anyone was curious.**


	12. Eclipsine: The Black Sheep

**ACT IV: Eclipsine, King of Darkness Chapter 1: The Black Sheep**

 **The Mewman Sea...**

King Solarius "Monster Carver" Dragonfly nervously paced around the ship's deck, listening to Alphys' scream from inside her cabin. Two members of the crew were inside the cabin with her to carry out the delivery, and refused to let the king inside until they were finished. Overcome with anticipation, he resorted to punching the ship's mast until his knuckles were sore.

"Your majesty…" Erika, the first mate, flinched at the painful sight. "Perhaps, you should take a _seat-"_

"GRRRAGH!" Solarius growled, clawing at his shaved scalp. "I just feel so _helpless!_ I should be _in_ there!"

"I _assure_ you, my king; Joanne and Marian are the _best_ doctors in Mewni. And Captain Alphys is _strong._ She will be fine."

"It's not just _her_ I'm worried about! What if something goes wrong with the-" He stopped his raving once he realized that he could no longer hear the captain screaming. Instead, his ears perked up to the sound of a softer cry. The king ran as fast as he could towards his lover's cabin, forcing his way through the door.

Alphys was breathing heavily, but otherwise, she was in good health. With her blouse undone, she held her newborn child close to her breast, nursing him. Once she spotted the child's father, she gave him a come hither motion with her free hand. "It's a _boy."_ She whispered, happily.

"A _boy?"_ Solarius cupped his hands over his mouth so that he wouldn't startle the infant. Still, he proceeded to inch closer to the bed.

Once he had his fill, the baby finally calmed down and rested in his mother's arm. Alphys sighed in relief and readjusted her blouse. The captain felt her lover sit down at the end of the bed and observed his longing gaze. "Would you like to _hold_ him?" She asked.

"M-me?" Solarius trembled, nervously. "But… w-what if I _drop_ him? Or _crush_ him? Or-"

"Solarius, it's _okay._ He's your _son._ I _believe_ in you." Alphys smiled, softly. The king slowly reached out his arms to take the newborn baby. "That's it. Keep his head up. You've _got_ it."

Solarius felt his child's steady heartbeat as he held him close to his chest. The infant was practically a mirror-image of his mother; having a small tuft of green hair, perfect porcelain skin, and a pair of beautiful indigo eyes. If it weren't for the dual spade-shaped birthmarks on the boy's cheeks, Solarius would doubt that this was actually his own child. A wonderful sensation swelled up in the king's chest as tears of joy ran over the lightning bolts on his own cheeks.

"Eclipsine Totalis Dragonfly…" The Monster Carver smiled. "You are _destined_ for great things, my son."

* * *

 **Eight Years Later...**

Prime Minister Jeshica Dragonfly-Spiderbite practically skipped her way into her family castle, carrying a special surprise over her shoulder. On her way, she was greeted by a handful of the delegates from other kingdoms who respectfully bowed in her presence. But as she finally reached her nephew's room, she heard crying coming from the other side of the door.

"Eclipsine?" She slowly stepped inside, only to see the prince weeping into his pillow. She quickly sat down on the bed, rubbing his back. "Eclipsine, what's wrong?"

"Aunt Jeshica…?" He whimpered. "Am I… _strange?"_

Jeshica's eyes flared with rage. "Who do I need to _kill?"_ She scowled, gripping the dagger attached to her belt.

"Everyone…" He sobbed. "I went into town and tried to play with some of the other children, but when I tried to show them my _dragonfly collection,_ they said I was _too strange_ to play with them!"

"Oh, sweetie…"

"And I heard their parents talking, too!" He went on. "They said they were _scared_ about having me as a king one day! They said they could see _evil_ in my eyes! Everyone's _scared_ of me!"

Jeshica cooed and continued to rub his back. It was true that some of the boy's behavior was odd to the average Mewman; such as his fascination with horror stories and his gothic sense of style. But she adored how much joy it brought him, and she knew his father shared the same sentiment. "Eclipsine… there aren't many other people who share your _hobbies._ But then again, none of them were a _prince."_

The prince paused to gaze into her eyes. "You know what you're guilty of? You're guilty of _distinctiveness._ You have a gift that lets you see the _beauty_ in things others _shun._ And that makes you a _kindred spirit._ So, _yes._ You _are_ strange, but it is _nothing_ to be ashamed of." The prime minister smiled. "It's something that deserves to be _celebrated._ No one _'normal'_ ever did anything special."

Her nephew wiped his eyes, finally smiling. "Thank you, Aunt Jeshica." After another tight hug, Eclipsine felt the bag. "What's _this?"_

"Oh! Of _course!_ I almost _forgot!"_ The prime minister jumped to her feet, and stripped away the plastic. Eclipsine's jaw dropped open at the sight of the sleek, indigo tuxedo with a green bow tie and ruby-encrusted pendant shaped like a black widow spider. "Happy birthday, Eclipsine!" She announced with much enthusiasm.

It only took a few moments for the boy to put on the outfit, showing off how perfectly it fit him. "Well, what do you think?!" She squealed, excitedly. "Do you _love_ it?!"

"It's… it's _nice,_ Aunt Jeshica, but… um…"

"Oh…" Jeshica's face fell, slightly. "I suppose you'd rather wear something like your _dad's,_ huh?"

"Actually…" Eclipsine rubbed his arm, sheepishly. "I was hoping it could come with a _hat,_ like _yours?"_

The former princess nearly fainted. "I've been waiting _eight years_ for you to ask me that." She happily wept before reaching into her purse for the needed supplies.

* * *

 **Mewni's Wharf...**

A certain sea captain sadly puffed on her tobacco pipe as she looked out over the vast body of water. Today was her son's birthday, and she was hiding away on a boat. The thought of the young boy celebrating his special day with everyone else he loved nearly brought her to tears. It had been a mutual agreement between her and Solarius that they wouldn't tell Eclipsine who his mother was, out of fear of him not understanding why she didn't live with them in the castle. But after eight years of watching him grow from afar, she couldn't help but wonder about the road not taken.

Suddenly, the conch shell next to her rang out, and she lazily lifted it up to her ear. "This is Captain Alphys Gibbs of the Royal Mewman Navy," she answered. "How may I help you?"

 _"Hello, Alphys!"_ A cheerful voice replied. _"This is Jeshica!"_

"Jeshica…? _Jeshica…?"_ Alphys tapped her finger against the mast, trying to jog her memory before it clicked. "Oh! _Jeshica!_ Right, right. Um, sorry, I've just been so _busy_ with my own responsibilities, I think it's taking a toll on my _mind._ In fact, you're lucky you called while I had a little _free time._ What can I do for you?"

 _"Well, I was thinking about taking Eclipsine on a little_ boat ride _for his birthday, today."_ The intelligent fashionista explained. _"But if you're too_ busy, _we could try another day."_

Alphys choked on her pipe's smoke out of excitement. She took out a small notebook, pretending to look through it as she calmly answered back. "Well, I wouldn't say _that._ Let me just check my _schedule…_ hm, hm, _hm… sure,_ I could squeeze in some time! How soon will you be here?"

"Is _this_ fast enough?" Jeshica snapped her magic compact mirror shut, chuckling as her friend jumped in surprise. Alphys straightened her jacket and cleared her throat before turning around.

"Welcome aboard, your-" The navy officer gasped in delight at the prince's attire. "Eclipsine, my _boy!_ Look at _you,_ with your _suit and tie!_ You look just like one of those _paintings_ in the castle halls!"

"Thank you, Captain Alphys!" Eclipsine smiled, proudly. "My Aunt Jeshica made it for me! She said it made me look… _distinguished."_

"Well, then it serves its _purpose."_ The captain nodded in approval. "Will the king be joining us?"

"He's _tied up_ in the war room, today. Sorry to _disappoint."_ Jeshica rolled her eyes before she continued. "But until he can join us for _dinner,_ we were hoping you could give the birthday boy a nice ride!"

"Oh, _please,_ Captain!" The prince bounced on his heels. "Can we?! Can we?!"

"I would be _honored_ to!" She smiled. "In fact, I think I know a certain area that you will _definitely_ appreciate."

A few minutes later, the trio set off in a small tugboat towards the Waterfolk Isles. But instead of the typical trade routes that were protected by the Mewman Navy, Alphys set course for murky waters. While his aunt was a bit unnerved, the prince happily breathed in the foggy air, excited by the ominous atmosphere. The hull bumped into something, and Alphys activated the ship's searchlight.

Eclipsine propped himself up on the tips of his toes to see over the rail. Their destination turned out to be a macabre collection of wrecked warships and fishing boats. The captain carefully maneuvered into a safe spot to drop the anchors and idle the engines before she lifted the prince onto her shoulders. "What do you think, Prince Eclipsine?"

"It's so _creepy!"_ He giggled. "I _love_ it! What _is_ this place?"

"This where your father _first waged war_ against the monster hordes." Alphys explained. "The Royal Navy spent almost an _entire year_ trying to reclaim the Waterfolk Isles. It was a _massacre._ Casualties on _both sides_ by the _hundreds."_

"Wow… that must have made _so many ghosts!"_ Eclipsine's eyes sparkled with amazement. "Do you think we'll _see_ any?"

Alphys chuckled. "Actually, your highness, there's no such _thing_ as ghosts. Those are nothing more than silly _urban legends._ Right, Jeshica? Jeshica?"

Jeshica didn't verbally answer. She just shivered in fear as she hid her face behind her hat.

"But… but that doesn't make any _sense."_ The prince sounded slightly distraught. "If people don't turn into _ghosts,_ then what happens to them when they _die?"_

"Uh… we just _don't know."_ The captain shrugged. "There _are_ those who believe that there is something called _'the Afterlife,'_ but it's more about _faith_ than _hard science._ Personally, I try not to think about it too often. Your father would say it's just one of life's great _mysteries."_

"... you talk about my dad a lot." Eclipsine pointed out, bluntly.

"Oh, _do_ I?" Alphys blushed. "Well, he's… he's a _good king._ And a _better man."_

After a few hours of wading through the murky waters, Jeshica noted that it was getting dark and that Solarius would be home soon. So, Alphys brought the tugboat back to shore and led the royal duo back to the carriage. "Well… it was a pleasure to see you again, your highness." She sighed, wistfully. "I'm glad you shared your birthday with me."

"Come along, Eclipsine. Your father will be ready any minute now." Jeshica led her nephew back to their carriage.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!" Eclipsine pulled his and free from Jeshica's hold and ran back to the dock. The sea captain pivoted on her heels at the sound of the prince's voice. "Captain Alphys! I wanna _tell_ you something!"

"What would you like to tell me?" Alphys knelt down, pleasantly curious.

"I _like_ you!"

Alphys felt her cheeks warming up as she gave him a quick hug. "Oh, I like you, _too._ Thank you _so much_ for telling me that. But, you _really_ should be heading home, now. Your father will want to see you."

"Okay…" Once Eclipsine reached the end of the docks, he turned back one last time before leaving. "Bye, mom."

The sea captain's eyes widened in shock and her heart skipped a beat. The prince was long gone by the time she looked back, but that didn't stop her from smiling to herself. _"That is the_ smartest _boy I've ever met."_ She mused to herself.

* * *

 **Later That Night...**

Solarius wandered back into the castle, looking over the latest report from the front with a malcontent expression. But as he entered the grand hall, a stifled laugh drew his attention to the ceiling. "Eclipsine?" His son was obviously struggling to keep quiet, but the king could clearly hear him sneaking up from behind. Nevertheless, he playfully tucked the scroll into his belt and crossed his arms, smiling. "Eclipsine! I know you're _here~!_ Come on out! You can't hide _forever!"_

"YAAAGH!" Eclipsine clumsily jumped out from behind the curtain, brandishing a wooden toy sword. "En guard, dad! The crown will be _mine!"_ He giggled.

"Oh, ho ho ho!" Solarius wielded his scepter as if he were to activate the magic blade. "If you want my crown, you'll have to _take_ it!"

"Have at thee!" Eclipsine sparred with his father, pretending he was actually in battle. After a few more minutes of playing, the prince tapped his father's shin with the tip of his false weapon.

"OUCH!" The king dropped his scepter and feigned injury, jumping on one leg as he hugged the other. "Ow! Hey, now! That's not _fair! MOMMY!"_

Eclipsine laughed and continued to tap at his father with the sword. "Death to the old king!"

"Ah! Oh! You _got_ me! I'm _dying!_ UGH!" Solarius humorously exaggerated and laid down on the floor.

Eclipsine frowned and rubbed his father's arm. "I didn't hurt you _too bad,_ did I?"

"No, I'm _fine."_ Solarius chuckled, propping himself up on his elbows. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. But I have a special _surprise_ for you…"

The prince watched with anticipation as his father dug through a pouch on his belt. At last, the king handed over a small sack to the boy. Eclipsine gently tugged away the string, and gasped at the sight of the bag's contents. "Are these…?"

"Yep." The Monster Carver smiled brighter than ever. "Purple rose seeds. I went to _ten_ different markets and talked to _fifty_ different merchants, but I _found_ them. Happy birthday, Eclipsine."

"Oh, _thank you,_ dad!" The prince cheered, wrapping his arms around his father. "This will _complete_ my garden!"

"Shall we plant them, _now?"_ Solarius suggested.

"But you _hate_ gardening."

"Oh, I know. But it's _your_ birthday, so _you_ call the shots."

Eclipsine grabbed his father's wrist and gleefully led him towards the center of the castle. Ever since he was five years old, the prince had tirelessly worked to transform an isolated area of the palace into a private haven all to himself. But out of all the flowers he had grown, the one type he treasured most were roses of all colors. Solarius was never too fond of the activity, but he was content that it brought joy to his son's life.

"There!" Eclipsine grinned, sprinkling water over the fresh soil. "Now, in just _eight weeks,_ there will be a _new_ color of roses in this flower bed!"

"Congratulations, my boy!" Solarius proudly patted his child on the back. "What was once a small patch of _dirt,_ you've turned into a _paradise."_

Later in the evening, after sharing a delicious roast followed by a half of a chocolate cake, the king, his heir, and the prime minister spent hours talking about their day. But after a while, Solarius led Eclipsine up to his bedroom. The prince couldn't help but notice his father's dejected frown as he shut the door behind them. "What's _wrong,_ dad?"

"Eclipsine, I… I have to _go away,_ tomorrow." The king clenched his fist, as if he wanted to punch something. "I'm going to be gone for a _year."_

"What…?" Eclipsine's heart sank. "You're… you're _leaving_ me?"

"No… no, buddy, I'm not _leaving_ you." The king got down on his knees so that he could look his son in the eyes. "It's just that… this war's gone on _longer_ than we expected it to, and my generals need me on the front lines."

"I _hate_ this stupid war!" The prince pouted and kicked his bedpost. "Who's gonna take care of me? Who will I talk to when I feel alone? Who's gonna sing me _Leaves from the Vine_ when I have nightmares?"

"Hey, hey, _c'mon."_ Solarius did his best to sound reassuring. "You'll be _fine._ I can send _letters_ through a messenger so we can still _talk._ And you'll have _Indexia_ to help you with your teaching, so you'll _never_ be alone. And your _Aunt Jeshica_ and _Alphys_ will come visit you when they can. _They_ can sing for you, and they sing… uh… I'll hire a _songstrel_ for you."

"I'm gonna _miss_ you…" The poor boy whimpered.

Solarius gently brushed his child's hair and sighed, heavily. "I'm really gonna miss you, _too,_ pal. But… w-we have to be very _brave_ about this, okay? We've got people counting on us to be brave, so can you show me a _brave face?_ Can you _smile_ for me, before I go?"

Not wanting to disappoint his father, Eclipsine smiled as best as he could manage.

"There you go." The king grinned. "Okay, now that we got this _bravery_ thing out of the way, I want you to give me the _biggest,_ most _gigantic,_ most _greatest_ hug you ever gave me in the _whole, entire world!_ Ready? And _go!"_

Before the prince could react, he was scooped up into his father's strong arms. He giggled, uncontrollably, as he was assaulted by multiple sloppy but affectionate kisses. Solarius gingerly placed him down onto the bed and covered him with the blanket. While his father sat down beside him, Eclipsine reached over to his nightstand and handed his drawing to him. "This is a _goodbye present."_ He declared, softly.

Solarius was briefly taken aback. "Eclipsine, this is your _drawing._ Are you _sure?"_

Eclipsine bit his lip, conflicted about parting with the simple piece of artwork. But deep in his heart, he knew he wanted the king to have it. "Yes, I'm _sure."_ He replied, at last.

Solarius felt an ache in his heart as he folded the paper and tucked it under his chest piece. Shifting in his place, slightly, he removed a bracelet from his wrist and placed it in his son's hand. "Well, in _that_ case, I want you to have _this._ This is your… your grandmother's bracelet." The Monster Carver struggled to keep smiling as he forced back his tears. "I want you to wear it on your wrist, and whenever you _look_ at it, you'll know that I'm _thinking_ about you, okay?"

"Thanks, dad."

Solarius kissed his boy's forehead one last time and walked over to the door. He turned back to see his son's dejected expression, one last time. "Goodbye, Eclipsine…" He whispered, shakily.

"... bye, daddy…" Eclipsine sniffled, crying softly.

That finally did it. Solarius couldn't stand to stare into his child's innocent eyes anymore. He closed the bedroom door and leaned against the wall. The king reached back under his armor to examine the drawing again. And with a heavy heart, he hugged the artwork close to his chest, finally allowing his tears to fall free.

 **To Be Continued!**


	13. Eclipsine: The Size-Shifter

**ACT IV: Eclipsine, King of Darkness Chapter 2: The Size-Shifter**

"Now, just like I showed you, your highness." Indexia hovered over the desk, watching her newest student practice a special technique.

In spite of the fact that he was still too young to inherit the the scepter, Eclipsine was given the Great Book of Magic to get a jumpstart on his studies. Based on his father's biological inability to "dip down" - to use magic without the use of the scepter - Indexia feared that the prince's body would follow suit. Thankfully, the blue mage had developed an effective workaround that would require more study and practice, but would also be just as powerful.

Eclipsine had been studying this particular spell for two weeks, and he was eager to finally put it into practice. Focusing all his concentration on his left hand, the prince silently whispered in ancient Mewman. Halfway through the enchantment, he felt a strange tingling sensation building up in his arm. At last, a dark purple flame burst into existence. Eclipsine gasped in surprise as he curiously observed the fruition of his hard work dancing in between his fingers.

"So… _this_ is dark magic?"

"Indeed, my boy." Indexia hovered around her newest student like a moon orbiting a planet. "But be _warned;_ you must _never_ use this power out of _anger._ Otherwise, you will risk letting it consume your body. So be sure you keep your emotions in check."

Eclipsine nodded in understanding before Indexia disappeared into the Great Book. With nothing better to do until his father returned in the evening, he dug through his closet for a long rope and tied it to his bedpost. Once he was safely on the ground, the prince headed towards the Forest of Certain Death, hoping to finally see a monster for himself. He had studied his father's entries in the Great Book, and knew almost just as much about monsters as any member of the Solarian army.

Much to his delight, the prince was able to hide up in the trees and spy on several monsters of different species. He found conjoinicorns, bat-creatures, frogmen, kappas, and even a few lizards. He was very careful not to let them see or hear him as he observed their habits and routines.

He was about to head home when he heard a faint wail in the distance. Curious, he headed towards the source of the noise. What he saw nearly made him fall out of the tree. A size-shifter - an extraordinarily powerful and rare breed of monster - was caught in a Mewman-made trap meant for hunting bears, lions, and other big-game animals. Based on the darker stripes of the fur, he realized that this monster was a female. But more importantly, she was in pain.

The teeth of the trap were digging into her leg, drawing blood, hence the wail. Eclipsine's heart ached at seeing another living creature suffer. Against his better judgment, he climbed down from the tree and quietly approached the trapped monster.

Her whimpering didn't stop until she spotted the Mewman. Eclipsine stumbled backwards, slightly, as she bared her razor-sharp teeth and growled as a warning. Regardless, he moved towards the trap, waved his hands around the jaws, and began to whisper. Just as he'd hoped, purple sparks began to swirl around his fingers until a small lightning bolt blasted the trap to pieces.

The size-shifter quickly jumped to her feet before pinning Eclipsine to the ground. He shuddered, slightly, as the monster's teeth got closer and closer to his face. However, her growl slowly died down as she looked back at the scattered shards of metal that were just recently piercing her leg. She looked back at her liberator with an indifferent expression. "... _thanks."_ She hissed.

"Any time." Eclipsine breathed, slightly relieved. The size-shifter released her grip on the boy and went to pick up a piece of parchment she had dropped after being caught in the trap.

"You know, that wasn't put here, _recently."_ The prince got up and cautiously moved closer to the monster. "This place used to be a _hunting ground_ for Mewmans up until the _war._ That trap has probably been here for _decades,_ and it was covered by _tall grass,_ so that's probably why you didn't see it."

The size-shifter turned around, visibly confused. She briefly scanned the surrounding area before looking back at the prince. "Are you talking to _me?"_

"Yes."He smiled. "I just want to make sure you know how to prevent yourself from getting caught in another trap."

"Yeah, _right."_ She rolled all four of her eyes. "Why would _you_ want to help _me?"_

"It's the _right thing_ to do." He shrugged. "Why _wouldn't_ I?"

"Seriously?" She took a deep breath and spread her arms. "Okay, _listen,_ little Mewman… take a _good, long look_ at me. What _am_ I?"

The prince took a step backwards to do as she asked. Starting at the top of her violet-colored hair and horns, down past the four of her eyes, then to the swaddling cloth she wore, then to her bare feet before going back up to meet her eyes. Yet, he still wasn't quite sure what kind of answer she was looking for. "Um… _red?"_

"NO! What are you, _stupid!"_ She flailed her arms in frustration. "I'm a _monster!_ A _size-shifter!_ I can rip a tree out from the _ground!_ It takes a _small army_ just to _hurt_ me! And I _eat people!_ Doesn't that _bother_ you?!"

Eclipsine shook his head. "No, not particularly."

The monster blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"... huh."

"Oh! Of _course!_ I see what the problem is; I haven't even _introduced_ myself." The prince took off his hat and bowed, respectfully. "I am Eclipsine Totalis Dragonfly. And _you_ are?"

The size-shifter wasn't sure what to say. Most Mewmans only ever wanted to kill her at first glance, not set her free from a trap and then make small talk. She wasn't entirely in any mood to talk, anyway; she had a mission to carry out. But giving her name wouldn't be too much. "Uh… Globgal." She shrugged and walked away.

"'Globgal?'" Eclipsine rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "Well, I must say, that is a _very_ interesting name! Is it _ethnic,_ or are you _named after_ someone close to your family? You see, I'm rather _interested_ in different cultures."

"That's _nice."_ Globgal nodded, uninterested. "Now, why don't you run along home and play with your _friends?"_

"Oh, well… uh… I don't really _have_ any friends." The prince admitted, sadly. But his dejected demeanor quickly faded as he followed the purple monster. "So, perhaps I can spend some time with _you!"_

Globgal's blood pressure was rising. What did she have to do to get this Mewman to leave her alone? She turned around again, pointing a razor-sharp claw in his face. "Listen, you _obnoxious, prattling, little Mewman…"_ She growled. "I gave you a chance to walk away because you got me out of that trap, but you are _really pushing it!"_

"But, I just-"

"No! Shut up!" She bellowed. "I have to try to figure out what this _damn map_ is saying! The only clue I was given was to head _north,_ but I can barely make it through these woods without setting any more _traps!_ So just leave me alone! The last thing I need is some _worthless Mewman_ slowing me down! So get lost before I bite your head off!"

The size-shifter turned around to study to map again, trying to make sense of the directional guide. But before she could even take one step forward, Eclipsine called out to her again. "Globgal, wait!"

The size-shifter was on the verge of murdering the boy at this point. In the blink of an eye, she pivoted on her feet and snarled. "WHAT?!"

"You're heading _southeast."_ He pointed in the opposite direction, while maintaining eye contact. "North is _that_ way."

Globgal reexamined her map then back at the Mewman. "How did you know that?"

"My father taught me how to navigate when I was five." The prince smiled. "I can _always_ find my way around, but it works _better_ if I have a map."

"... _really?"_ Globgal pointed to the X on the parchment. "Can you find where _this_ is?"

"Oh, yes! It's _easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!"_ He replied, cheerfully. "You just have to go _this_ way, _that_ way, _that_ way, _this_ way, _this_ way, _this_ way, _that_ way, _this_ way, _that_ way!"

Globgal bit her lip, as the gears in her head conjured up a plan. At last, she cleared her throat and puffed out her chest, proudly. "Ahem. After _careful consideration,_ I have decided to make you a _deal._ In exchange for leading me to my destination, I will _not_ eat you alive."

"Okay!" Eclipsine eagerly snatched the map up and led the way into the woods. "But, for the record, you could have just _asked."_

The monster was thankful that her fur covered up her blush. "Just keep moving."

Over the next few hours, Eclipsine and Globgal maneuvered through hundreds of trees as they tried to find the mysterious treasure. During the journey, the prince marveled at the enchanting scenery. An adorable hummingbird swooped down and hovered around the boy's face as if to say hello, much to his amusement. Soon afterwards, the duo came upon a stream for a short break. While Globgal drank the water, Eclipsine observed the rainbow-colored fish.

Hours later, Globgal decided to stop for the day to set up camp. While the female monster hunted for dinner, Eclipsine started a roaring fire. His friend came back with blood dripping from her chin as she chewed an entire deer in her mouth. She sat down next to the Mewman and warmed herself by the fire. Meanwhile, Eclipsine beamed as a group of fireflies danced through the air while listening to the crickets.

"Who knew the Forest of Certain Doom could be so peaceful?" He chuckled.

"Ah, we just call it that to keep Mewmans out." Globgal replied, wiping her mouth.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, the _official story_ is that a hunting party wandered into a conjoinicorn's den, and they threatened that anyone who entered too far into the woods would _die,_ instantly."

"... I am _not_ even upset. Color me _impressed."_ Eclipsine pursed his lips as he looked over the map again. "So, what exactly are you _looking for?"_

"Well, not that it's any of your _business…"_ She remarked, licking her lips and fingers. "But I made a special deal with the Kappas to find some precious idol for them in exchange for a little something for myself."

"The _Kappas?"_ The prince's eyebrow arched. "Do you _really_ think you can trust them to _uphold_ their end of the bargain?"

"Ha, not on their _lives."_ She snorted. "But this time, _I'm_ gonna have what _they_ want. I don't get what I want _first,_ they don't get their _idol."_

"Ha _ha!_ My, you _are_ tricky!" He praised. "So, what did you ask for in _return?"_

Globgal ignored the Mewman and crossed her arms. "Like I said; it's none of your _business."_

Eclipsine looked hurt. "Why don't you want to talk about it?"

"Why do you _want_ to talk about it?"

"Why are you answering my question _with_ a question?"

"Why are you _asking_ questions I _clearly_ don't want to answer?!"

"Well, why do you have trouble expressing your wants?"

"I don't. I _want_ you to _shut up._ See? No problem."

"You're just displacing your anger."

"Trust me; it's _properly_ placed."

"You seem rather upset at whoever did this to you."

"No one did _anything_ to me!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Someone _hurt_ you long ago! They hurt you so _terribly,_ that it made you want to push away everybody else!"

"LEAVE MY PARENTS OUT OF THIS!" Globgal instantly doubled her body mass, and barred her razor-sharp teeth at the inquisitive Mewman.

But instead of being intimidated, Eclipsine smiled and clapped in triumph. "Ah-ha! A breakthrough!" The monster was dumbfounded as her companion paced around the campfire, attempting to further the investigation. "Let's _explore_ family origins, shall we? Were you _hugged_ as a child, Globgal? Did your parents _abuse_ you?"

"Alright! Alright!" Globgal conceited, crossing her arms in frustration. With a solemn expression, the size-shifter sat down and explained her anger to the boy prince. "They… they _left_ me when I was young. At first, I thought it was just a _size-shifter thing,_ like a _rite of passage,_ but… I've seen _other_ size-shifters with their parents who are _much_ older than I was."

"I _see…"_ Eclipsine rubbed his chin. "And how does that make you _feel?"_

"Like _nothing."_ Globgal laid down on her back, rubbing the sadness from her eyes. "The Kappas promised me my own castle in exchange for the idol. I just… I want a _home._ And someone to… _share it_ with. Someone who can see _past_ the big, scary, ugly monster and appreciate me for my _soul."_

Eclipsine felt his heart skip a beat as his cheek marks glowed. Something sprouted on the bridge of his nose. He peeled it off, revealing it to be a Mewberty love-mark in the shape of a purple spade. This could only mean one thing: the prince had fallen in love with Globgal. Smiling nervously, the prince sat down next to his companion, leaning forward to look deep into two of her eyes. "Um, you know… when _we_ met? _I_ didn't see you as just a _'big, scary, ugly monster.'"_

Globgal's frown slowly shifted into a modest grin as she looked back up at the Mewman. "Yeah. I know." Her gaze shifted away from her new friend up to the sky as a soft sigh slipped through her lips. "The stars are coming out _early,_ tonight."

"Stars?!" Eclipsine looked up at the sky in terror. Sure enough, the sun had disappeared he had no idea how late it was. "Oh, dear Stump! Am I gonna _get_ it!"

"What? What's _wrong?"_

"My _father!_ He is going to be _livid_ when he founds out I snuck out this late!" Eclipsine bit his nails out of fear. "I have to go home!"

"Whoa, wait! You can't go!" She protested. "You're my guide!"

"I'll meet you back here tomorrow, I promise! But I need to-" Suddenly, a knife zipped through the air, sliced the prince's cheek, and embedded itself into a tree. Eclipsine cried out in pain, while his companion found the source of the attack. A bat-creature stepped out from the shadows, holding another knife in a menacing manner. Globgal immediately moved her arm in front of the Mewman to protect him.

"You are _not welcome,_ boy." He snarled.

"Uh, heh-heh, w-we don't want any _trouble,_ kind sir." The prince stammered, nervously.

"Oh, you _don't,_ do you?" The bat taunted. "Well, that's just what you're going to _get."_

"He's _mine!"_ Globgal growled. "Leave now, before I _eat_ you!"

"You shut up!" The bat snapped. "And _you,_ poor little Mewman boy… consider this a _lesson_ to you for wandering into _monster territory!"_

But before the bat could even throw the knife, a muscular man clad in Solarian battle armor tackled him to the ground and proceeded to beat him to death. "YOU! WILL! NOT! TOUCH! MY! SON!"

"Dad!" Eclipsine cried out in relief.

"DAD?!" Globgal spluttered in disbelief.

Unfortunately for the size-shifter, the Monster Carver whipped his head around at the sound of his son's voice. Acting on impulse, she grabbed the boy and dashed away as fast as her legs would carry her. But it was no time before she heard a warnicorn stomping after them. To make matters worse, her new friend kept squirming in her grasp.

"No! Stop! It's _okay!"_ Eclipsine held onto the monster's hand for dear life, trying to talk her down. "You don't understand! That's my _father!"_

"No, _you_ don't understand." Globgal retorted. "That's your father… _out to kill me!"_

The prince looked back at his father's angered expression, noting his clenched teeth and bulging eyes. Globgal was right; if he caught up with them, she wouldn't survive. Luckily, as they approached a steep incline, he conjured up a brilliant plan. "Throw me!" He said.

"What?! Are you _crazy?!"_

"Do you trust me?"

"What?!"

"Do you _trust_ me?!"

"... yes?"

"Then _let… me… go!"_ At last, Eclipsine slipped free from Globgal's hand and stumbled down the rocky slope. Unfortunately, it was a bit more steep than he expected and soon found himself spiraling out of control. "Dad! Help me!" He cried out.

As he suspecting, the king gave up on his pursuit and dove after the boy. Solarius finally grabbed onto the boy's jacket and dug the scepter's magic blade into the ground, halting their decent. Eclipsine hugged his father tight as they climbed back to the top. Once they were back on even ground, Solarius didn't hesitate to hug and kiss and inspect his child for any injuries. If he hadn't been so hysterical, he might have noticed that the size-shifter was hiding in the bushes to make sure for herself that Eclipsine was unharmed. She didn't leave until her friend waved her off as his father took him back to the castle.

That night, Eclipsine wrote a special chapter in the Great Book about his day with Globgal.

* * *

 **Three Years Later…**

Eclipsine held his newly inherited scepter aloft to light his path. He had spent hours trying to sneak out of the castle and through the woods, all while holding a neatly-wrapped box close to his chest. At long last, he found the monster temple on a cliffside just beyond the Forest of Certain Death. Focusing a telekinetic spell through the crystal, he forced the massive steel doors to open up. Inside, he inspected the impressive architecture, enjoying the ominous atmosphere.

A sharp chill suddenly crept up his spine. Something was sneaking up on him. With cat-like reflexes, he pivoted on his heels and shone the light just as a giant hand scooped him up. Globgal giggled at how she could still get the drop on him. "Oh, _you."_ He sighed.

"You're _late."_ She smiled. "I was worried you weren't coming."

"My apologies." He replied, holding up the box. "But it occurred to me today that I have never given you a proper _housewarming gift."_

"You didn't have to do that." She blushed. After placing the prince back on the floor, she shrank down to seven feet tall so that she could open the present, herself. Her eyes sparkled at the silver necklace.

"I put a special _enchantment_ on it." Eclipsine explained. "So it will _grow_ and _shrink_ when _you_ do."

"This is so _sweet."_

The hours flew by as the two friends wandered through the empty temple, catching up on everything they had missed since they last saw each other. Globgal told him about all the special renovations she had made to her new home, and even some new friends she had made. Eclipsine's stories weren't as interesting; ever since he inherited the scepter, his days mostly consisted of meeting with the people who would one day join him on the high council.

The worst person of all was Duchess Shastica Spiderbite. Eclipsine described her as hideous on the inside as well as on the outside. Her father, the Duke of Spiderbites, had consistently tried to persuade Solarius into an arranged marriage between himself and the horrible girl. Eclipsine was certain that the arrangement was only a feeble attempt for the Spiderbites to gain a higher position of power in the hierarchy, but he had faith that his father wouldn't force him into something that he would hate.

"This woman sounds _awful."_ Globgal grumbled. "Would you like me to take a _break_ from my vegetarian streak and _eat_ her?"

Eclipsine snorted. "No. That'd be _too good_ for her. Plus, she'd probably give you _indigestion."_ After sharing a laugh, the prince checked his pocket watch and sighed, dejectedly. "Well, I should be going now. We don't need a _repeat_ of when we first met."

"No kidding." She agreed. "Take care on your way back, Eclipsine. Tonight's rainfall is just _a little heavier_ than usual."

The prince looked up at the sky just as he stepped outside and prepared the umbrella of his scepter. "So it _is._ I hadn't _noticed."_

"It's been _storming_ for the past _hour."_ She pointed out. "How could you _not_ notice?"

Eclipsine chuckled and unfolded his scepter's umbrella. "Darling, whenever I'm with _you_ the sun is _always_ shining." In the spur of the moment, he pushed himself up on his toes and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Globgal's eyes widened with shock, speechless from the act of affection. Eclipsine grew nervous upon seeing her like this; worried she didn't feel the same way. It was enough to make his heart ache. "I-I'm sorry." He muttered, ashamed. "I shouldn't have… I just… you're a _very lovely_ person, and I… I've _cherished_ this journey we've spent together, and I-"

He was cut off by a finger pressed against his lips. Globgal had shrunken down enough to where she could meet his eyes without crouching down. The first time she had ever done that before. "You _missed."_ She smiled.

Eclipsine cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean I _missed?"_

"You _missed."_ She repeated and pressed her own lips against his. Eclipsine's eyes widened, his heartbeat quickened, and his cheek-marks shone brighter than ever before. Once the kiss was broken, Globgal waved goodbye once more before entering her castle, leaving the prince in a lovestruck trance.

With his cheeks still glowing, Eclipsine happily danced back through the forest with a broad smile on his face. Just the thought of his love kissing him made him feel happier than ever before. Then again, he would argue that even long before Globgal showed any romantic attraction she could make all his troubles and worries seem far away. She was his true love; his soulmate.

Looking up at the sky, Eclipsine held out his hand to feel the rainfall. He shrugged, folded up the umbrella into his scepter, and proceeded to dance and sing through the woods back to Mewni. As he continued his journey home, he made sure to playfully stomp and kick through puddles as he did when he was a child. His smile only grew wider as his path transitioned from wet mud to solid cobblestone. Still dancing and singing, he held his scepter as if it were Globgal.

It wasn't until he reached the castle's entryway that he finally noticed the citizens surrounding him. As always, they looked at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. Why wouldn't they? He was dancing and singing in the rain with a broad smile plastered over his face like a madman. But this time, it didn't bother him so much.

His lips were still warm from Globgal's kiss.

Feeling tired, the prince bid farewell to the citizens and lazily climbed up to his chambers to go to sleep.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's note: I understand that it takes me a while to update this story. But please try to understand that I have a life outside of this website, including friends, family, and work. Not to mention that I'm still working on Justice Legion of Avengers. So, in conclusion, try to be a little more patient.**


	14. Eclipsine: Dealing With Grief

**ACT IV: Eclipsine, King of Darkness Part 3: Dealing with Grief**

 _ **Nine Years Ago**_

 _Eclipsine Dragonfly happily munched on a Snookers bar as he proudly displayed his garden to his grandfather. After a brief tour of flowers and shrubbery, the prince begged Skywind to tell him stories of interdimensional travels, which he was more than happy to oblige. The King of Hours enjoyed spending time with the boy; one of the few perks of no longer being a ruler was having more time for his family._

 _At the end of the day, Skywind carried Eclipsine on his shoulders up to his bedroom. But the older man suddenly buckled in pain just as they reached the doorway. Eclipsine dropped down and handed his grandfather a handkerchief. Skywind quickly accepted the cloth and coughed, violently, into it._

 _"Are you okay, Grandpa?"_

 _"I-I'm fine, Eclipsine. Just a little under the weather." The former king tucked his handkerchief into his back pocket; he didn't want the boy to see the red stains. In truth, Skywind's body was slowly succumbing to a serious disease, and the royal physician estimated that he would perish in six months. Only Solarius and Jeshica knew about his affliction, as they didn't want the young prince to worry._

 _Regardless, Skywind refused to spend his remaining days in a hospital room, swallowing pills in a vain attempt to prolong his life. He just wanted to be with his family. Just as he was tucking his grandson into bed, the boy looked up._

 _"Grandpa?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Do you miss Grandma?"_

 _"What? 'Do I miss Grandma?'" Skywind sat down on his grandson's bed, slowly processing the question. "Well…_ yes. _Of course, I do. I… I miss her_ every day. _Why do you ask?"_

 _"... because I miss_ daddy." _The prince whimpered. "And I'm afraid he'll get hurt like grandma did."_

 _Skywind was at a loss for words. Not a single day had gone by since the death of his beloved Gem-ivine that he wished he had been the one to die at the hands of the Lizardman. But there was nothing he could do about it now. His wife was gone forever. "I'm sure your father won't get hurt, my boy." He promised._

 _"I was wondering… couldn't we use the scepter to bring grandma back to life?"_

 _"Oh, Eclipsine…" The old man sighed. "I'm sorry that you never got to meet your grandmother, but when you_ die, _you_ die. _And no amount of_ magic _can change that. After you die, it's just… nothing."_

 _Eclipsine rolled over in his bed, pulling the covers over his head. "Goodnight, Grandpa…"_

 _"... goodnight, Eclipsine." Skywind pat the boy on his back before leaving the room._

 _"Tactful as always, dad." The old king nearly jumped out of his skin. It was Solarius; he had heard everything._

 _"I'm sorry. I've never been too_ good _at this sort of thing." Skywind coughed into his palm, and shuddered in pain._

 _"Okay, dad. Okay, go get some rest." Solarius watched his father make his way down the stairs, then silently made his way over to Eclipsine's bed. The prince had already drifted off to sleep, but Solarius spoke anyway._

 _"I… I wish I had the courage to tell you this sooner, my boy." The warrior king sighed. "I cannot_ promise _that I will always be safe… and I_ certainly _can't promise that one day I won't fall in battle. But I_ can _promise you this; you are ten times the man that I am. Yours is the_ strongest _spirit I've ever witnessed. And I know that when your time comes, you will be a much better king than I could ever hope to be._ _And most importantly; even though we're apart, I'll_ always _be with you."_

* * *

 **Present Day**

"Dad…?"

Eclipsine felt as if a vice was crushing his chest as he looked down at his father's mangled corpse. The Magical High Commission had removed the dagger from Solarius' chest and did their best to clean him up, but it wasn't much of an improvement. Jeshica rested both of her hands on her nephew's shoulders, fighting back her own tears.

"Dad… wake up…" Eclipsine shook his head in denial; he refused to believe that his father was dead. He started shaking his arm, hoping to provoke a reaction. "Dad, wake up… dad, _wake up!"_ He sobbed. "Y-you said… you said it would all be _over_ after tonight! Y-you… _p-promised!"_

Jeshica quietly led the Commission out of the room, leaving the prince to mourn. Eclipsine sobbed into Solarius' chest, still begging him to wake up. "No… I _won't_ let it end like this!" The prince held his scepter aloft and summoned the Great Book of Magic.

Almost instantly, Indexia materialized from the pages. The blue mage knew what her master was thinking, and for the first time in her existence, she was afraid. "Eclipsine, wait!" She begged. "I know you're upset, but-"

"I can do this!" Eclipsine desperately flipped through the pages, searching for the right spell. At last, he found what he was looking for. Despite Indexia's protests, Eclipsine held the scepter above Solarius' body and whispered in ancient Mewman. Soon enough, the spade-shaped marks on his cheeks glowed brightly as the dark magic began to stain his palms.

Purple bolts of electricity surged from the black onyx atop of the scepter and into the deceased body. Without warning, Solarius' eyes snapped open and he gasped, painfully. Eclipsine stumbled backwards in shock as his father sat up on the cold table. The whites of the king's eyes had turned black, and his skin was still deathly pale from the poisoned dagger, but he was indeed alive again.

"Eclipsine? What… what's going on?"

"I… I brought you _back!"_ The prince tearfully hugged his father. "You're okay!"

"I… I feel _strange…_ I…"The reanimated king looked down at the cuts and bruises, as well as the dark purple veins branching out over his skin. "This is _wrong."_

"What?"

"This isn't _me._ This is just your _grief_ influencing your mind. Manifested through the dark magic.

"Th-that's not _true!"_

"Yes, it is…" The cadaver gently brushed the boy's cheek. "Because I wouldn't be _smart enough_ to realize it. But _you_ are. Eclipsine… please, let me rest." The prince buried his face into Solarius' chest, not wanting to admit the truth. But as he felt cold fingers stroking his hair, he knew what he had to do; he began reversing the spell. "There you go… you'll be alright… Leaves from the vine… falling so slow… like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam…"

Eclipsine sobbed as he held his father's corpse in his arms, feeling it grow heavier and heavier. "... little s-soldier boy…" He wept. "Come marching home… _brave_ soldier boy, comes marching _home…"_

Three days later, the Magical High Commission had gathered all the other delegates in castle's war room to finally read over Solarius' last will and testament. With no evidence of his father's decision to cancel the arranged marriage, and despite Jeshica's objections, Eclipsine was forced to follow through.

* * *

At midnight, the newly appointed king of Mewni solemnly made his way through the Forest of Certain Death to Globgal's castle. Ever since he helped her find the idol, Eclipsine had assisted his girlfriend in finding other monsters like her; monsters who felt like outcasts even among their own kind. These monsters were invited to live with Globgal in her temple to create a better society for all the monsters in Mewni.

Monsters like Mina; a Slime-person, Eijiro; a Rock-creature, and Viktor; a Frogman, were all prime examples of the kind of people who shared Globgal's way of thinking. They were among the first monsters to welcomed into the kingdom; even taking a liking to Eclipsine, himself. And after them, many more monsters stepped forward to join the new society.

As he made his way down the halls, Eclipsine heard music coming from the dining hall. Sure enough, everyone was dancing in celebration of the end of the Mewman/Monster war. The king went over to the bartender and ordered a simple cup of tea. A certain size-shifter spotted him, and immediately took notice of his sour demeanor. She handed her cup over to Mina, grew a few inches, snuck up behind him just as he took a few sips, and scooped him up into his arms.

"We _did_ it!" Globgal exclaimed, happily, trying to lighten her lover's mood. "We've created a _safe haven_ for monsters! Anyone who has been _abused,_ or _abandoned,_ or _harmed_ will finally know _sanctuary!"_ Despite her efforts, Eclipsine wouldn't smile. Concerned, she set him back on the floor and leaned down to meet his eyes. "What's the matter?"

At last, he looked up. "He's _gone…"_ He sniffled, wiping away a stray tear. "My father. He was killed in battle against a lizardman."

"Oh…" The band stopped playing once they realized that their illustrious host was no longer dancing. Mina and Eijiro were close enough to overhear the conversation, so they were the first to flock to Globgal's side. Unfortunately, the size-shifter was at a loss for words. "Eclipsine, I… I'm sorry."

The prince rolled his eyes and walked over to an isolated corner of the mess hall, followed by his friends. "I'm being forced to marry Shastica…" He added. "We are to be wedded in a fortnight."

Globgal was speechless. Eclipsine had always been open about how strongly he resented the Duchess of the Spiderbite kingdom; making snide remarks and crude jokes about the pathetic woman. And yet, he was now willing to marry her without question. Until today, the Mewman before her was always smiling and laughing as if he never had a care in the world. But now, she may as well have been speaking to an entirely different person. "Can't your _aunt_ get you out of this? Or your _mother?"_

"Aunt Jeshica doesn't have enough political influence to speak on behalf of my father." He replied, stirring his tea. "And my mother… well, it's _complicated_. This is something I _have_ to do. There's no other option."

Globgal took her lover's hands into her own, blushing brightly as she looked into his eyes. "Yes, there _is."_ She whispered, softly. "You can _run away_ from it all. Stay _here._ With _us."_

"Whoa, hang on, Globgal." Mina stepped in, shocked at her suggestion. "I mean, we _all_ love Eclipsine, but-"

"Yeah, I mean, do you _really_ think it's a good idea to have him here _twenty-four-seven?"_ Eijiro added.

"Yes, he could bring _problems_ with him." Viktor agreed.

"Guys!" Globgal snapped. "I-I'm sorry, Eclipsine, they're just a little _nervous._ This is the _first time_ I've brought up the idea."

"I can't blame them." Eclipsine sneered, bitterly. "Why _would_ they want the son of Solarius living amongst them. They all must be _overjoyed_ now that he's gone."

"Hey!" Mina snapped. "In our defense, he _did_ dedicate his whole life to - y'know - _kill_ us!"

"Yeah, man!" Eijiro agreed, angrily. "Sure, it's easy to defend the guy when he's your _dad,_ but not everyone here has had the privilege of enjoying a _silver spoon_ in our mouths since the day we were born!"

"Okay, take it _easy,_ you guys." Globgal tried to diffuse the situation, peacefully."

"No! This dude wants to come in here and talk smack?! I don't think so!" Eijiro went on. "Now, since Globgal spoke up for you when we first met, we were willing to give you the benefit of the doubt! And we learned to _like_ you, man! But you come in here, blaming us for your dad's death, when most of us never even _asked_ for this war?! That ain't cool! We don't have _castles,_ or _treasuries,_ or _magic scepters_ to keep us together! If we had just a _fraction_ of what you were born into, maybe _we'd_ be the ones complaining to _you_ about all of our dead dads!"

Suddenly, the dining hall's doorway splintered into pieces, earning everyone's attention. A group of sinister beings had forced their way into the temple with deadly weapons and large appetites. The leader of the group - a bat monster - unsheathed his cutlass and pointed it at Globgal. "I _told_ you we'd be back, wretched sow!"

Eclipsine leaned back in his seat as he gave Eijiro a sarcastic look. "More examples of those who simply need 'a fraction of what I was born into?'"

"No. These guys are _exceptions."_ The rock monster sighed.

"I thought I warned you _never_ to come back here!" Globgal snarled. "Or do I need to teach you _another_ lesson in humility!"

"Oh, ho ho ho. I think _you_ are the one who will learn that lesson, tonight." The bat snapped his leathery fingers together, beckoning another monster into the room. The peaceful patrons of the temple shuddered in terror at the sight of the enormous behemoth. "Yeah, that's right… _we_ have a size-shifter now, too! And now, we're gonna teach you a _lesson_ about trying to act _peacefully_ in our land! KILL THEM ALL!"

"Gentlemen?" Eclipsine politely raised his hand, which in turn earned him everyone's attention. The young Mewman took a deep breath and measured every word, carefully. "Now, I haven't the _foggiest idea_ as to what your problem with my friends is, but I have had a rather _tiring_ and _stressful_ day. My father is _dead,_ I'm being forced to marry a _foul_ woman that I _do not love,_ and to top it all off, I will soon be forced to take on new responsibilities that I am nowhere _near_ prepared for. So, I am hoping that we can try to just _sit down_ and _talk_ about our issues. Or at the _very least;_ allow me to finish my tea before things get _too_ violent."

"Listen, you little _punk."_ The Bat sneered. "Normally, I'd _eat_ Mewmans for less than that! But you happened to have caught yourself a _break._ Because right now, the only thing I hate more than _Mewmans_ are _these losers._ So, I'll give you a ten minute _head start._ That ought to be all the time my boys and I need to kill these pathetic weaklings. But after _that,_ we're _coming_ for you."

Eclipsine looked back over at Globgal who silently begged him to leave so that he wouldn't be harmed.

"... fair enough." Much to his friends' disgust, the king got up from his seat, tipped his hat to say farewell, and made his way towards the exit. But what they didn't know was that his meticulous mind was currently devising a plan to incapacitate the intruders. As long as he didn't do anything brash, he might get away with it. Sadly, it seemed that fate was not favorable to him this day.

"You better enjoy the quiet times while they last!" One monster laughed. "Mewni's gonna learn the _real_ pecking order around here! Now that we got rid of the _psychopathic bastard_ you called a king."

Eclipsine stopped just in front of the door. His eyes flared with righteous fury as he reached for the locks, trapping his targets in the room. "Manners… maketh… Mewman." He announced. The monster bosses looked back, again, confused by the boy's words. What they didn't notice was that the black crystal on the tip of his magic umbrella was beginning to glow with raw power. Normally, using dark magic out of anger would risk seriously harming his body if he didn't focus it through the scepter, and even then it would still have an adverse side-effect on his arms. But he was willing to ignore the pain to protect his friends and defend his father's honor. "Do you know what that _means?"_ He asked, rhetorically. "Then let me teach you a _lesson."_

"Alright, kid. You _asked_ for it." The arrogant bat-monster cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna take your manners and shove 'em up your-!" He was cut off by a brick smashing into his face.

Eclipsine had used the handle of his umbrella to hook a stray block of stone and launch it at his opponent. Globgal, her friends, and even the hostile monsters were startled by the sudden assault. While the bat nursed his broken nose, Eclipsine confidently strutted towards his accomplices. "So, are we going to just _stand around?_ Or are we going to _fight?"_

"Why, you _little-!"_ Another monster rushed forward with a dagger.

"Ink submergence." Suddenly, the attacker sank into a bottomless puddle of darkness.

"Black Widow Calamity Cobweb." Three more monsters were caught in a giant spider web that teleported them far from the temple's grounds. The hostile size-shifter brought his fist down, hoping to crush the Mewman.

"Onyx barrage." Instead, his entire arm was severed by a crystalline blade that appeared out of thin air. The remaining monsters rushed the king and the peaceful monsters, thinking they could catch them off guard.

"Obsidian barricade." In the blink of an eye, a transparent bubble of black energy surrounded Eclipsine and his friends. Once the attackers touched the barrier, they were whisked away in a tornado of shadows. All that remained of the intruders was a cowardly Kappa, who bolted for the exit.

Eclipsine smiled, wickedly, as he charged his scepter for a final spell. "Midnight… _shriek."_ With that, a powerful blast of concussive energy struck the Kappa in the back, knocking him down for good. Without a word, the new king closed the umbrella, adjusted his tie, and turned to sit back at the table. Globgal's friends stared in awe as the Mewman nonchalantly drank the rest of his tea.

"Babe… that was… _hot."_ Globgal blushed. "Thanks for the save."

"Nothing's too much for my darling." Eclipsine winked, flirtatiously.

"Damn, 'Clips!" Mina exclaimed. "That was _wicked cool!"_

"Yeah! I mean, I always figured you were good at magic, but that was _awesome!"_ Eijiro blushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry for what I said, earlier."

"Oh…" The Mewman waved his hand in dismissal. "Water under the bridge, old sport."

Just then, Viktor gasped as an idea popped into his head. "Eclipsine, my friend, with magic like _that,_ you might be strong enough to take on the _King of Darkness!"_

Globgal and her friends recoiled in terror at the suggestion, but Eclipsine was confused. "I don't understand. Who's the King of Darkness?"

Globgal gulped and shrank down to meet her lover's eyes. "The King of Darkness is like a _god_ to all monsters. Even the _lizards_ fear him!"

"Oh, my…" Now, Eclipsine looked worried. "He must be _terrifying._ Has anyone challenged him before?"

" _Hell,_ no!" Mina shook her head. "He's too powerful! Too _big!_ Too _scary!"_

"Supposedly, he is _immortal!_ He has ruled over all of monsterkind almost as long as your family has ruled over the Mewmans!" Viktor chewed on his claws, nervously. "He's probably the one who ordered Mors Caput to fight your papa!"

"Wait, _what?!"_ Eclipsine spluttered in shock while Eijiro and Mina smacked Viktor. "Globgal, did you _know_ that?!"

"I-I _swear,_ I had _no idea!"_ The size-shifter insisted.

"Where _is_ this King of Darkness?"

"Uh, about four hundred kilometers west from this temple." Eijiro pointed in the wrong direction.

"And how _fortified_ is his castle?"

"He doesn't _have_ one." Mina replied. "He's so powerful and large, he just lives among the oldest and tallest trees in the Forest of Certain Death."

"And how powerful _is_ he? What are his feats?"

"Well, no one's ever seen him that clearly, before. But I'm pretty sure he only has _two feet."_ Viktor shrugged.

"What…? N-no, no. How _strong_ is he? What has he done _before,_ that makes him so terrifying?"

"Oh, well… I haven't really seen him do _anything_ before." Viktor admitted.

"Yeah, me neither."

"Me neither."

"Hmm…" Eclipsine looked down at the dark veins spreading from his palms down his forearms. If was going to challenge anyone, he would have to improve his skill at handling dark magic. "Alright… I will continue to practice with Indexia and the Commission for a few years; at least until I can fully master the dark arts. Which means I'll need to stay with Indexia... which means I will have to go through with marrying Shastica."

Globgal's heart sank. But her beloved took advantage of her current size to cup her cheek and kiss her lovingly. "However… if _you_ and _I_ were to get married _right now,_ my marriage to Shastica would be _invalid._ And once I defeat the King of Darkness and unite the Monster and Mewman societies, we can _truly_ be together."

"You… you'd do that for _me?"_ Globgal cried, happily.

"Of _course_ I would." Eclipsine turned to their friends. "Would one of you do the honors?"

"Oh! Oh, oh, oh! I'll do it!" Mina volunteered, eagerly. "I do this for my brothers and sisters all the time!" The pink slime monster ushered the two lovers towards the center of the temple so that the moonlight shining through the stained glass window brilliantly illuminated the two lovers. "Do either of you have anything to declare?" Mina asked.

"Yes." Globgal took a deep breath before laughing, nervously. "This feels kind of silly. I mean, we've known each other for _seven years."_

"And _five months."_ Eclipsine added.

"Right. Well… when we first met in the Forest of Certain Death, I told you that I always wanted a home and someone to share it with. I used to blame my parents' abandonment as the reason why I was so hostile to everyone I met, but I see that it was just because I was so bitter about my past." She wiped away her tears and leaned closer to the boy. "But then I met this brave - if not _annoying_ \- Mewman who didn't see me as just some scary monster. He taught me that it was okay to let down my walls and open up to whatever the future may bring. Without his help, I never would have found the idol and gotten this amazing temple from the Kappas. And I _certainly_ never would have found out that I'm _capable_ of love… because I love _you,_ Eclipsine Dragonfly."

There was a brief moment of silence as the new king of Mewni dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief. After a deep breath, it was his turn. "Well, despite what many often believe, my life has not been _pristine._ I have been looked down upon by my future delegates, the Commission, and even the _peasants_. But when _you_ look at me, Globgal, you see me for the man I _wish_ to be; someone who wants to build more _bridges_ and fewer _walls._ Of all the souls I have ever encountered in this _hostile world,_ it was _yours_ that shone brightest of all. I am lucky enough to even be your _friend._ But now, I humbly ask you to take me as your lawfully wedded husband. In sickness and in health, for better or worse, until _death_ do we part, and even _beyond_ that."

Mina struggling against her urge to burst into tears of joy. "Then, by the powers vested in me… I now pronounce you… _husband and wife!_ You may _kiss_ the bride!"

* * *

Later that night, Eclipsine silently crept back into the building as a married young man. But as happy as he was, his heart ached at the sight of his father's tapestry. Mournfully, he reached out to brush the fabric, as if he could hold Solarius' hand. And then, he started to speak. "I… I _know_ that you said you'd change your will when you returned, dad. And I wish it didn't have to be this way. But, that _girl_ I mentioned to you before? I went ahead and _married_ her, tonight. I know I said you wouldn't approve of her, but… after a short while, I think you would have really _liked_ her."

The king paused for a moment, as if the tapestry were about to reply. Eventually, he started again. "She's _perfect_ in every way. She's _smart,_ and _fun,_ and _kind,_ and… _beautiful._ Her eyes just _sparkle_ like four pieces of _citrine,_ and when she _smiles_ she puts all other women to _shame._ And she does this _adorable_ thing with her tail where she plays with it when she gets _flustered."_

Eclipsine laughed to himself, imagining the look on his father's face if he ever told him that he was in love with a Monster. Unfortunately, the ache in his heart returned with a spiteful vengeance. He was ashamed, thinking that the last moment he sent with the warrior king was a petty argument. If only he had known what would have happened. "I think… I think that with _her help,_ I can bring _peace_ between Mewmans and Monsters. I only wish that you could be here to see it… I'm not even sure that I can be king _without_ you."

 _"~And even though we're apart… I'll_ always _be with you.~"_

Eclipsine's ears perked up; the faint whisper startled him at first, but he soon recognized the familiar sound. "Dad…?" His voice cracked.

 _"~I'll_ always _be with you.~"_

It sounded as if the voice was coming from upstairs. Curiously, he followed the voice up the steps, past the other tapestries of previous kings and up into his bedroom.

 _"~I'll_ always _be with you.~"_

Eclipsine walked over to his nightstand, where he left his grandmother's bracelet and a folded piece of paper. The voice had gone quiet, so the king curiously shook the piece of paper, as if to prompt the voice to come again. But upon closer inspection, he realized that it was the same drawing that he had made for his father when he was much younger.

"Hmm… it's a rather _puzzling sensation."_ He mused; his gaze shifting between the bracelet and his drawing. "But… it's almost as if you never _left_ me. But that can't _be,_ can it? Or… _can_ it?"

Eclipsine unfolded the crude artwork he had created years ago. According to his mother, the king had carried it around with him throughout the war. A stray tear fell free from the boy's cheek and onto the paper. Vivid memories of Solarius' soft smile and reassuring hug warmed Eclipsine's heart. "Perhaps you _are_ here." He whispered to himself. "I may have lost several opportunities to be with you in the _future,_ but _no one_ can take away the few treasured memories we _shared._ So, even though you're _gone_ … we really _are_ still together? Ha, then perhaps grandpa was _mistaken_ all along."

The young king laid down on his bed, hugging the drawing and bracelet close to his chest. "Perhaps the bond of a _father_ and his _son…_ is not measured by the _distance_ between them _._ But by the _love_ they shared." Although he was still crying, Eclipsine smiled as he slowly dozed off. "How very nice for… _us."_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's notes: Eclipsine is still fifteen years old in this chapter. Globgal is around the same age. And before anyone leaves a review asking about why they're both okay with getting married so young, keep in mind that this chapter takes place over three hundred years before Mars' chapter. In real life, three hundred years ago, the age of consent was twelve years old, and arranged marriage often happened to ten year olds.**


	15. Eclipsine: The Greater Evil

**ACT IV: Eclipsine, King of Darkness Part 4: The Greater Evil**

Globgal Dragonfly was awakened by the warm rays of sunlight creeping through her window. A soft smile spread over her lips as she found herself face-to-face with the Mewman king who had won her heart. Eclipsine shifted for a moment before finally opening his eyes. Globgal stretched her neck forward to give him a gentle peck on his lips.

Three years had passed since Eclipsine took the throne of Mewni and secretly married his love, Globgal. More often than not, the young Mewman found himself overwhelmed with the kingdom's problems; everywhere he turned, there was a debacle needing his attention. Jeshica and the Commission helped as much as they could, but they insisted that he learn how to govern the kingdom on his own. In addition to that, there was still the frustrating fact that more than half of his people feared him as their king.

However, he always managed to find time to visit his beloved wife. Of course, their relationship wasn't perfect, what with the two of them being separated most of the time; and like most couples, they often engaged in petty squabbles. But despite everything, they stuck together through thick and thin.

"Good morning, darling." He yawned, happily, sliding out from under the covers. "You didn't leave any _noticeable_ marks this time, did you?"

"Uh… _no,_ not really." She lied, gazing at the scratches in between her husband's shoulder blades.

"Stay in bed for a minute." Eclipsine tied up his robe, making his way to the door. "I'll have breakfast ready in a bit."

"Whatever you say~" She purred. Still enjoying the afterglow of the previous evening, Globgal wondered what she did to deserve such a loving companion. After a few moments of massaging her still-tender areas, the size-shifter realized she had yet to grow back to a more comfortable size. With her fingers intertwined, she stretched her hands high above her head and focused on stretching her muscles to increase their mass.

But when she opened her eyes again, nothing had happened.

"What the…?" Shaking her head, she got down on her hands and knees and stretched as hard as she could, but still nothing. "Why can't I…?" Suddenly, a faint memory crept into her mind. Once when she was a child, she overheard two other size shifters talking about a condition that prevented them from altering their size for a long period of time. With wide eyes and a nervous gulp, she slowly moved her hand over her stomach.

"... uh-oh…"

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a certain king was happily making breakfast for his beloved wife and playing a guitar he fashioned out of an animal's skeleton. Checking his pocket watch, he saw that he only had an hour before he needed to return to the castle. But until then, he was free.

And this freedom was thanks, in part, to the secrecy his mother provided. Shortly after Eclipsine's public marriage to Shastica Spiderbite, he accidentally let it slip to the old sea captain that he had found true love on his own. Without mentioning her identity as a monster, the king explained how he truly loved Globgal and that he would not have been happy without her in his life. Alphys, wanting her child to be happy, promised to keep his secret and cover for him whenever he wanted to visit Globgal. In exchange for a chance to meet her herself, one day.

Eclipsine stopped reminiscing once he realized the food was ready. He set his makeshift instrument against the wall and grabbed his spatula to scoop up the omelets. He was just setting the plates down on the table and lighting a pair of candles when he noticed Globgal tip-toeing towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"Uh, _nothing!_ That smells _delicious!"_ She screamed, trying to smile.

"Well, don't just stand there with your tummy rumbling! Come on over and _dig in!"_

The Mewman king happily pulled her chair out for her and then took his seat across from her. However, he was a bit concerned when she didn't seem interested in talking to him. He was about to ask if she was feeling well before something caught his eye. Curiously, Eclipsine rested his hand over his head, then moved it over Globgal's. She was still the same height as him.

"W-what are you doing?" She giggled, nervously.

"Usually after our… ahem, _private time_ is over, you grow a few more feet to remind me that you're the _dominant one_ in our relationship. But so far since last night, you haven't even grown an _inch._ Why?"

Globgal swallowed hard; she was certain that he wouldn't notice. Beads of sweat soaked her fur as she cleared her throat. She needed to say something. "Um… well, I wanted it to be a _surprise."_

"Oh, I _like_ surprises." Eclipsine leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "What is it?"

"Um… I, uh… well, I-I need to stay this size, because, um… I, uh…" Globgal truly wanted to tell her husband about her morning discovery. But as she looked into his innocent, magenta irises and felt the warmth of his loving smile, she lost all confidence. "I'm… _practicing."_

"Practicing? For what?"

"Well, Mina's been helping me with a Mewman disguise so that… I can meet your mother."

"REALLY?!" Eclipsine's eyes sparkled with delight. "That is _wonderful!_ Oh, I always _hoped_ you'd be willing to try something like this!Oh, there's so much to _prepare!_ I'll have to tell her your favorite type of tea, and about your vegetarian substitutes, and…" The young king ceased his prattling as he noticed Globgal's nervous expression. He smiled, softly, and held her hands. "Oh, darling. I know this must seem a bit _demeaning_ to you, but I promise this will only be _temporary._ We will tell my mother the truth as soon as we're certain that she won't try to _kill_ you."

"That's… comforting." Globgal smiled, weakly.

Eclipsine checked his watch again, sighing in disappointment. "Well, I must dash. We'll talk more about this later. I'm rather _interested_ in seeing how you plan to disguise yourself."

With a final kiss farewell, the Mewman king departed back towards his kingdom. Once he was gone, Globgal sighed in frustration, rubbing her stomach. "How am I gonna _tell_ him?" She pondered to herself. Unfortunately, she was so preoccupied with her current problem, she didn't notice the mysterious figures hiding in the shadows.

* * *

Meanwhile, Eclipsine adjusted his suit and tie as he exited the Forest of Certain Death. On his way to the castle, he spotted a group of teenagers bullying a little girl. With a wave of the sceptor and a sly smirk, Eclipsine discreetly cast a spell on the cruel boys. Suddenly, they fell to the ground, screaming about spiders and snakes that weren't there. The girl got back on her feet and looked to see her monarch tipping his hat to her.

At last, he reached the main entrance to the castle and headed towards his office. Unfortunately, as he made his way down the grand hallway, he could hear a shrill, obnoxious voice growing louder.

"Shastica, it's been _four hours."_ Jeshica groaned. "You need to wear a ballgown for the Lucitor's ball."

"Then quit wasting my time with these _tasteless designs,_ Jeshica!" Shastica shouted, rudely. "I wouldn't be caught _dead_ in any of these dresses you've shown me!

"You'd have to be dead for _eight years_ just to _fit_ into them." Eclipsine chuckled as he passed the shrewd queen.

Jeshica snorted at her nephew's remark, but Shastica was not amused. "Are you implying that I'm _overweight?"_

"Oh, _no, no, no, no, no, no, no."_ The king shook his head, smirking. "You're _undertall."_

"Fine! What do _you_ think I'd look good in, _dear husband?"_

"A _sealed mausoleum."_ Eclipsine quipped a final time and headed up to his room. His smile only grew wider as he listened to the bitter woman rant and rave, furiously.

By the time he reached his office, the Spellbook suddenly opened up, and it's guardian popped out from in between the pages. "Greetings, my lord." Indexia bowed. "I need to speak with you."

"Can it wait?" Eclipsine set his scepter aside and prepared to tackle the mountain of paperwork. With a heavy sigh, he dipped his feather pen in the jar of ink and began scribbling his signature over the numerous important bills. "I've got to complete these papers before my meeting with the delegates."

"I'm sorry, Eclipsine…" Indexia hovered in front of her master. "But this concerns your _father."_

Eclipsine's hand froze in place as his eyes darted towards his teacher. "Go on."

"Well, I was looking over the dagger used to kill Solarius, and I discovered something _interesting."_ The blue mage conjured up a small vial filled with a sickly green, viscous liquid. "The substance that was coating the dagger wasn't _poison,_ it was _venom."_

"Is there a _difference?"_

"Yes, actually. Poison comes from _plants,_ venom comes from _animals."_ She explained. "This one in particular appears to belong to a genus of spiders. But what's _interesting_ is that this type of venom isn't found in any spiders that are _indigenous_ to the Forest of Certain Death."

"What are you _saying?"_

"Someone - a _Mewman_ \- _sold_ the monsters the venom."

Eclipsine could hardly believe his ears. Ever since the beginning of his campaign against the monster hordes, Solarius was one of the most popular kings among the people. Everyone adored him for the sense of security he provided. _"So why would someone want to kill him?"_ The new king wondered. _"Who could gain from his demise…?"_

Just as he asked himself that, his mind automatically thought of a single person. "Of course…" He growled, internally kicking himself. "How could I have been so _blind?!"_

"My lord?" Indexia followed her master down the hall as he charged his scepter with dark magic.

Eclipsine marched straight towards the conference room where a trade deal was currently going on between the Jaggy Mountains, the Water Folk, and the Spiderbites. Alphys and Milo were also present to provide security, so they had no reason to stop Eclipsine as he barged in.

"Well, look who has _finally_ graced us with his presence." Duke Mercury of the Jaggy Mountains snorted.

Eclipsine ignored the comment and aimed his umbrella at Warner Spiderbite, summoning a hand of purple magic to lift the politician into the air. The other delegates and the Magical High Commission gasped in horror at their ruler's actions, but Eclipsine couldn't have cared less. Just as his grip on the scepter grew tighter, so did the magical hand's grip around Warner's neck.

"My Stump, boy!" Milo gasped. "What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks do you think you're doing?!"

"Baron Warner Spiderbite!" Eclipsine declared, angrily. "You are hereby under arrest for plotting the assassination of King Solarius Dragonfly!"

"W-what?!" Warner spluttered. "What are you babbling about?! I did no such thing!"

"You're _lying!"_ The magic-wielder bellowed as he further tightened his grip on the Baron.

"Eclipsine, stop!" Jeshica grabbed the scepter, trying to take it from the young king. "What is the _meaning_ of this?!"

"He's _guilty!"_ Eclipsine tugged the umbrella out of his aunt's grip before pulling the vile out from his coat pocket. "This venom - the venom that killed my father - comes from _spiders!_ Warner sold the venom to the monsters so that my father would die and I would be forced to marry Shastica! Guards! Commission! Arrest the traitor at once!"

("Eclipsine!") Lekmat bleated. ("You cannot just barge in here and make baseless accusations like this!")

" _Baseless_ accusations?" Eclipsine spluttered in fury. "The venom comes from _spiders!_ My aunt has spent _years_ stockpiling spider venom to try and find a _cure!_ Warner could have gained _access_ to her supply and bartered with the monsters to-!"

"That is _speculation."_ Hekapoe cut in. "You can't _prove_ it with just a bottle of venom. Now, I suggest you take a moment to calm down-"

"You think I'm _insane."_ Eclipsine spat, bitterly. "Why am I _not_ surprised? After all, you never trusted me in the _past,_ why should it be different now _?"_

"With _all due respect,_ your majesty." Omnitraxus held up her hand to calm the king. "It's not a matter of whether or not we _trust_ you. It's just that without _substantial evidence_ it's simply _your_ word against _his."_

"That _bastard_ has been trying to trick my father from the very beginning!" The dark king bellowed, frightening everyone. "He had a _motive!_ He convinced my father to marry me off to his bitch of a daughter just so he could enter the royal family! He had my father killed just so he could have more political power! He is _guilty!_ I demand _justice!"_

"Justice, eh?" Warner chuckled, as he still dangled in the air. "Rather _hypocritical_ attitude, if you ask me. What with your little _secret,_ and all."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I think you know." Warner smiled, mockingly. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice all the times you've been sneaking away from the kingdom? Granted, I had to hear of this behavior from my daughter, first, but I soon understood what she was talking about."

"Eclipsine?" Jeshica held her hands over her heart. "What does he mean?"

"Yes." Bartholomew Barnacles of the Waterfolk agreed. "Come to think of it, _I've_ noticed him going off on his own quite frequently as well."

Eclipsine shared a concerned glance with his mother as the delegates flocked to Warner's side. The Magical High Commission eventually freed the Baron from Eclipsine's creation and helped him to his feet. Rhombulie was the first to speak up. "Your majesty, what is he talking about?"

"If you won't tell them, _I_ will!" Warner Spiderbite had now turned the entire room against the young king. Eclipsine didn't know what to do; he simply stood in the center of the room, listening to his subjects demanding whatever secret the baron was talking about. He felt like a frightened animal cornered by predators. At last, the wicked Spiderbite spoke up. "Very well! Ladies and gentlemen of Mewni, lend me your ears!"

"Stop it!" Eclipsine shouted.

"Your king, the man _sworn_ to protect you -"

"I said _stop it!"_

"Has been having a clandestine affair with a _monster!"_

A collective gasp filled the room as all eyes landed on the king. But Eclipsine merely crossed his arms, trying to keep calm. "Well… that's _his_ word against _mine."_

"Actually, it's _its_ word against yours." At the snap of the Baron's fingers, ten Spiderbite soldiers barged into the room. The delegates screamed in horror at the sight of a size-shifter, wrapped in chains and forced to the ground. The monster snarled and snapped at the Mewmans in a vain attempt to free herself. Warner smiled at the sight of Eclipsine looking so terrified. "My spies have been following you into the Forest of Certain Death for _months!_ And now, your monster will pay for _your_ mistakes!"

The Commission took over from the Spiderbite guards at that point. Omnitraxus held Globgal in place, while Lekmat and Rhombulie kept Eclipsine away from her. The king's mind was racing; he was trying to think of how this could have happened. _"Why hasn't she grow bigger?"_ He thought. _"Why is she letting them do this?!"_ But it wasn't until Hekapoe prepared to stab his beloved with a pair of dimensional scissors that his critical-thinking brain took over. _"Why am_ I _letting this happen?"_

Thinking quickly, Eclipsine kicked a torch from the wall onto the floor and increased its temperature and intensity with a dark enchantment, earning everyone's attention. The king held the scepter over the fire as his gaze locked onto the Magical High Commission. "Release her!" He ordered. "NOW!"

"Or _what?"_ Hekapoe scoffed.

"Or I'll _destroy_ the scepter."

"You wouldn't _dare."_ Omnitraxus declared. "That scepter has been in your family for _twenty-nine generations!_ You wouldn't throw all of that away for the sake of a _filthy monster!"_

"Oh, _wouldn't_ I?" Eclipsine loosened his grip just enough for the magic umbrella to slip down. Watching the Commission jump in fright brought a confident smile to his lips. Time to negotiate. "Now! Back _away_ from her! _All_ of you! Every step you take towards the _wall,_ is a step _I_ take away from the _pyre."_

Just as he hoped, the Commission obeyed. Soon enough, the king was the only one close enough to touch Globgal. Rhombulie tried to rush him, but a swift faux-throwing motion from Eclipsine quickly persuaded her to keep her back to the wall. The room fell deathly silent as the king lowered himself, leaning over to his wife's ear.

"Listen to me _very carefully…"_ He whispered to the size-shifter through clenched teeth. "I'm not sure how long I can keep them like this. Follow me into the _dungeon_ if you want to _live."_

"Follow you into the _dungeon_ if I want to _live?_ How do you figure _that?!"_ She whispered back, angrily.

"Because there is a _secret passage_ down there that you can use to _escape!"_ Eclipsine tried to keep his voice down, but it was becoming apparent that the Commission was growing restless. "You're just going to have to _trust_ me-"

"They're _up_ to something!" Spiderbite shouted. "Enough of this! Stop him!"

Eclipsine barely had enough time to react before Globgal finally broke free from her restraints. The scepter slipped out of his grasp and rolled dangerously close to the purple flames. Instinctively, he reached out to grab it, but tripped over Globgal's tail. The size-shifter was out of control, violently slashing and clawing at the Mewman guards.

"Alright, I've had _enough_ of this!" Hekapoe took out a pair of dimensional scissors and aimed it at the monster.

"GLOBGAL, LOOK OUT!" Eclipsine abandoned his pursuit of the scepter and jumped in front of his lover.

"AAAAAIIEEEEEEEE!" Jeshica screamed in horror.

Eclipsine choked and gagged as his eyes wandered down to the source of his sudden pain; a pair of dimensional scissors piercing his chest. Warm streams of red trickled down his body and pooled onto the floor. The king fell to his knees as his world went dark.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's notes: Oh, my god. I am** _ **so sorry**_ **it took me so long to update. But my new job in the union has me working ten hours a day, seven days a week, and I barely have any free time now.**


	16. Eclipsine: Making Choices

**ACT IV: Eclipsine, King of Darkness Part 5: Making Choices**

Globgal's eyes widened in pure terror as her love fell to the floor. With a loud, primal shriek, the size-shifter broke her chains and lashed out at her abductors. While she was busy with the Spiderbite guards and Milo Loveberry, Alphys rushed to the king's aid. Jeshica tried to help her friend, but a sudden ache in her chest forced her to her knees as a sharp pain ran up her arm.

"Oh, shit! Oh, _shit!"_ Rhombulie was on the verge of a breakdown. "Hekapoe, what did you _do?!"_

"I-I don't _know!"_ The blacksmith grabbed his horns, nervously. "I was aiming for the _monster!_ Not _him!_ Omnitraxus, don't just stand there! Get it!"

The guardian of time and space tackled the rampaging monster to keep her pinned. Globgal snapped her jaws and struggled with all her might, but the nigh-omnipotent woman was too much for her. "Give it up, you filthy beast!" Omnitraxus ordered. "You're _not_ getting away!"

Meanwhile, Alphys had undone her ascot and put pressure on her son's wound. She didn't dare try to remove the scissors, lest she risk worsening the wound. "Jeshica, can you give me a hand, here?! Jeshica?" The sea captain turned to see the prime minister was now on the ground, clutching her chest. Startled, Alphys stood up. "Jeshica?! What's wrong?!"

"M-my heart…" Jeshica muttered between gasps.

Regaining consciousness, Eclipsine saw his wife in the thrall of Omnitraxus and forced himself onto his elbows. Using his teeth, he pulled the glove off of his right and and aimed his palm, charging up a lethal spell. "Cosmic… cannon!"

A wide beam of dark magic struck Omnitraxus in the head, melting the skin from her skull. "AAAH! My face! My _face!"_

Globgal used the distraction to her advantage and rushed to Eclipsine's side. Scooping him into her arms, she bolted for the nearest exit, trying to find a way out of the castle. Thankfully, her love kept himself awake long enough direct her through the halls. Eventually, they made it to the dungeon. "Okay, we're here. _Now,_ what?" She asked, anxiously.

Coughing and spluttering, Eclipsine turned his attention to a painting of Alphys. "C-captain… permission to… come aboard." Much to Globgal's surprise, the painting winked at them, and opened up to reveal a hidden passage. With the last of his strength, the king smiled at his wife. "Don't w-worry… I'm not going to say I… told you so…"

"Eclipsine?" Globgal gently shook her beloved as she ran through the passage. "No! Stay _awake,_ Eclipsine!"

Less than an hour later, Globgal had escaped from the kingdom, passed through the Forest of Certain Death, and back to her temple. Eclipsine's condition hadn't improved during the trip, and the size-shifter worried this was the end. After violently kicking down the door to the main entrance, she called out to anyone who was still in her castle for help. Her friends gathered around as she laid her husband down on the floor.

"What happened?!" Mina gasped.

"Somebody get help!" Globgal sobbed. "Please! Somebody _do_ something!"

"I-I don't know what to do!" Viktor stammered. "No one here is a doctor!"

"Ahem…"

Globgal and the other monsters bolted upright in surprise. There, standing before them so confidently, was Madame Indexia of Contents. Globgal wiped the tears from her eyes and bared her fangs. "Have you people no _shame?!"_ She hissed. "Have you come to finish the job?! _Have_ you?!"

"Fear not, young Globgal…" With her hands behind her back, the miniscule mage hovered closer to the huddled group. "I come not to harm, but to offer help."

Globgal snorted. "As if I'd believe _that!_ Your Magical High Commission just tried to kill me _and_ Eclipsine! Now that you know he and I have been wed, why _wouldn't_ you want to kill us?!"

"Because, my dear, my only purpose in life is to serve the _royal family,_ not the Commission." Indexia promised. "Furthermore, of all the kings I've ever known, Eclipsine has been my _favorite._ He has been a good student, and an even _greater_ ruler. And I shall _not_ allow him to suffer the indignity of perishing by those narrow-minded bigots he was forced to work beside."

The size-shifter looked to her friends, wondering what they thought of the situation. After a few unsure shrugs and skeptical looks, her eyes wandered back down to her beloved husband. Eclipsine's condition was getting worse with every passing second, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her only option was to trust Indexia. "Okay…" She choked out. "Do it. Save him, please!"

Indexia moved her left arm out from behind her back, revealing the pair of dimensional scissors that had harmed Eclipsine. "It is already done." She replied, calmly.

Globgal immediately pivoted on her heels to find Eclipsine's wound had miraculously disappeared. But as she knelt down to cradle him in her arms, his heartbeat was still too fast and too weak. "It didn't work!" She cried. "Why isn't he better?!"

Indexia placed her palm against her king's wrist and the jewel in her forehead shone as she probed the young man's mind. "I could only heal his _physical_ wounds."She explained. "But his spirit is _weak_ and growing _weaker._ He has been betrayed by his own kingdom; he feels unable to go on. If you want him to live, you must give him a _reason_ to live."

Hearing this, Globgal leaned down to whisper into Eclipsine's ear. "Listen to me…" She sobbed, holding him closer. "Get _up…_ get _up._ You _have_ to get up, you obnoxious, prattling little Mewman… because you're gonna be a _father."_

At the mere utterance of those words, Eclipsine's heartbeat grew steadier. Noticing this, Globgal gave him a soft peck on his lips, which in turn made the young man's eyes flutter open. He looked up at his wife with a startled yet affectionate gaze. Globgal and Indexia helped him up, and backed away to give him space. After a brief moment to catch his breath, Eclipsine approached his love. "I… become… _father?"_ He asked, shakily.

Without speaking, Globgal grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. Despite it being too early for any activity, Eclipsine's dark magic allowed him to sense the growing life within her womb. The king's lips curved upwards as tears of joy ran down his glowing cheeks. He cupped Globgal's face and gave her a loving kiss. "Thank you… my queen." He whispered, happily.

Suddenly, the two lovers heard a collection of startled gasps and terrified screams surrounding the main entrance. A few braver monsters attempted to fight the intruder, but she fired her pistol into the ceiling to drive them back. Eclipsine and Globgal waded through the crowd to see what all the commotion was about, only to find a familiar green-haired naval officer standing before them.

"So… it _is_ true." Alphys holstered her firearm and gazed into her son's eyes. "I always wondered why you were so particularly _secretive_ about the woman who stole your heart, Eclipsine, but now I know _why."_

"Mother…" Eclipsine's mouth went dry. "I… I didn't want you to find out like this, but… Globgal is my wife and I _love_ her." As he held the size-shifter's hand for support, he noticed that his mother's gaze showed no signs of disgust or judgement. "Is… is Aunt Jeshica here, too?" He wondered, aloud. "She deserves to know the truth."

"Eclipsine… something happened after you escaped, um…" Alphys tried to find the right words. "Seeing you hurt like that... she had a _heart attack…_ she didn't make it."

Eclipsine's heart sank; a terrible dread plaguing his conscience. Although she wasn't as radical as her younger brother, it was no secret that Jeshica shared his hatred of monsters for what they had done to her mother. Despite what his mother told him, Eclipsine couldn't help but think that his aunt's demise was more than just a simple heart attack. _"When she saw me with Globgal… she died of a_ broken heart… _"_ He thought, sadly. The young king fell to his knees, crying. "I'm sorry… I'm so _sorry…"_

Alphys couldn't bear to see her son like this, and knelt down to hug him. "What the hell do you have to be sorry about?" She whispered, tearfully. "You fell in love. There's no shame in that. I am _so proud_ of you. And _Solarius_ would've been, too."

The mention of his father's name forced Eclipsine to choke and sob even harder, wrapping his arms around his mother. "It's okay… let it out…" She offered. Once her son finally calmed down, however, Alphys released her hold on the king and marched towards his monster wife. By the time she reached Globgal, the size-shifter was shivering from anxiety. The room fell deathly quiet for what felt like an eternity, but the sea captain took a deep breath and uttered a simple question. "Do you love him?"

Globgal was baffled. "... I beg your pardon?"

"Well, I obviously can't _control_ him; he's free to make his _own_ decisions in life." Alphys crossed her arms over her chest. "But even so, I am his _mother_ and I want him to be _happy._ So, I _repeat;_ do you _love_ him?"

The size-shifter trembled under Alphys' gaze. Somehow, she felt that even if she could increase her size at that moment, the sea captain would still frighten her to the core. But as she looked back at Eclipsine, she felt a bit more confident. "Ma'am…" She said, at last. "I love him more than _life itself."_

Alphys softened her gaze and sighed. "Then will you promise to take care of him?"

"Of course, ma'am."

"Then you have my blessing." With that said, Alphys turned back to her son and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye, Eclipsine. Stay safe."

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Well, if the MHC finds me, they'll undoubtedly try to _use_ me to get to _you."_ She reasoned. "I'll sneak back to the docks later tonight, and get to my ship. There are plenty of forgotten islands in the sea that used to serve as Solarian military camps."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe someday." She stroked her boy's cheek with an affectionate smile. "But until we see each other again, never forget how much I love you, my boy."

With a final hug goodbye, Eclipsine watched his mother depart into the dark forest.

* * *

One week had passed and the former monarch had thought long and hard about how to fix the current situation with Mewni. He had been outed to the public as a monster-sympathizer, the scepter had been left behind during their escape, many monsters still did not trust him, and he now had a child on the way with no method of supporting them or his wife. Luckily, his mind eventually conjured up a plan to solve all of his problems.

If he could defeat the King of Darkness and take the throne, he would prove himself to the entire monster nation and earn their respect. With that out of the way, he would have a government at his side once again, and enough backbone to confront the other Mewman kingdoms to finally bridge the gap between the two conflicting societies. The only problem was the lack of his scepter. He could still channel dark magic through his hands, but at the risk of causing permanent damage to his entire physiology. And yet, there seemed to be no alternative.

Led by his closest friends and a handful of other witnesses, Eclipsine followed them into the deepest and darkest corner of the Forest of Certain Death, armed with a sword and shield. The further the went, the more the thick fog began to dim the light from the torches. At last, the party came upon an old wooden bridge that crossed a murky river. Hanging from a dead willow was a sign that read "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

"This is as far as we go, Eclipsine." Viktor patted his friend's shoulder for comfort. "We watch over Globgal until you return, but the custom states you must challenge the King of Darkness _alone."_

Eclipsine nodded, kissed his wife, drew his sword, and slowly crossed the bridge. Once he reached the other side, his party was completely out of sight and he was all alone. _**"WHO ARE YOU?"**_ Eclipsine nearly fell over from shock, but stood his ground. With the fog so thick, all he could see was a dark silhouette as high as the trees surrounding him.

"I am Eclipsine Dragonfly!" He said at last. "Former King of Mewni! Friend of monsters! I have come to challenge you for the right to lead all monsters!"

 _ **"YOU ARE A FOOL!"**_ The voice bellowed. _**"I AM THE DESTROYER OF LIGHT! I AM HE WHO HAS RULED THE MONSTERS FOR AS LONG AS TIME HAS EXISTED! LEAVE NOW, OR FACE THE SAME FATE AS YOUR ACCURSED FATHER!"**_

Despite the crippling fear the gigantic monster instilled in him, Eclipsine held his ground. Summoning a purple flame from his palm, he channeled it through his sword. "Do not underestimate my resolve!" He shouted, and swung his sword at his opponent. The purple flame sliced through the tall monster's arm. Eclipsine just barely managed to move out of the way before the limb crashed beside him. However, as he stood back up, he saw that it wasn't an arm, but a rotted tree branch. "What…?"

 _ **"Uh… H-HOW DARE YOU STRIKE ME, MEWMAN?!"**_ The voice spoke up again. With his nerves now a bit more at ease, Eclipsine noticed that the voice seemed to be coming from the monster's feet. _**"LEAVE NOW BEFORE YOU TRULY ANGER ME!"**_

Eclipsine ignored the warning and stepped closer to his opponent. To his surprise, the King of Monsters' body was nothing more than an old, dead oak tree. The green-haired Mewman chuckled and continued to search for the source of the voice. After brushing through the leaves and sticks he found a small insectoid monster hiding behind a makeshift megaphone and plucked it off the ground by its wings.

"So… _you're_ the mighty King of Darkness, eh?" The former monarch of Mewni could hardly stifle a laugh as he pinched the insect in his fingers. "Now, normally I am a bit _squeamish_ about taking another's life." He said, darkly. "However, according to my friends, you had a _hand_ in my father's _demise."_

"P-please!" The insect whimpered. "W-what happened to your father was nothing _personal!_ Have _mercy! Take_ the title! Just let me go, and you'll never see me again!"

"Hmm…" Eclipsine smiled, coyly, as his fingers tightened around the pathetic bug. Ultimately, his pity for the small being won out. "Very well, you're free to go for now. But if I ever see you again… I _will_ avenge my father."

"Oh, thank you!" The bug cried in relief. "Thank you, _thank_ you!"

As he flicked the bug into the wind, Eclipsine happily released a breath of relief. Now, as the newly appointed King of Darkness, he proudly strutted back across the bridge to his wife and friends. "He… he _did_ it!" Eijiro cheered. "Eclipsine killed the King of Darkness!"

"Actually, I didn't kill _anyone."_ Eclipsine corrected. "You see, I-"

"He's still alive?!" Mina shrieked. "You wounded the King and _walked away?!"_

"The end is near! He will seek revenge!" Viktor panicked.

"No, guys, it's _okay."_ Eclipsine tried to calm his friends down. "It's _alright._ It's just a _tree!"_

"Come again?" Mina asked, skeptically.

"The King of Darkness isn't _real."_ He clarified. "It's just a _giant, dead tree._ Some kind of _bug monster_ was pretending to be a giant to trick you all into following his orders."

"And where _is_ this bug monster?" Eijiro questioned.

"Oh, I sent him away." He replied. "We'll never see him again."

The others mumbled to each other, quietly. It was evident that they did not believe him, so Eclipsine decided to show them he was telling the truth. "Globgal, come with me." His wife shook her head, but he stepped forward to reach for her hand. "Globgal, do you trust me?"

"What?" She asked.

"Do you _trust_ me?" He repeated, calmly.

Globgal shuddered at the thought of directly confronting the King of Darkness, fearing for both herself and her unborn child. However, her eyes wandered down to the scar on Eclipsine's chest. The scar that might not have been there if she had trusted him to lead her to safety. At last, she took a deep breath and squeezed Eclipsine's hand. "Okay… I trust you."

With that, Eclipsine led his wife over the bridge and to the tree. "See? I told you." But as he looked back, he saw Globgal had let go of his hand and was hiding behind a rock. She was still afraid.

"Alright... watch this." Eclipsine picked up a branch, and with all his strength, slammed it against the base of the tree. Globgal jumped back in fright as her husband proceeded to cup both hands around his mouth. "HEY, SPLINTER HEAD! YOUR MOTHER WAS TURNED INTO A _ROCKING CHAIR!_ YOU ROTTING PILE OFWORM-INFESTED _TERMITE FOOD!"_

"What are you _doing?!"_ Globgal half-whispered/half-shouted. "Are you _crazy?!"_

But Eclipsine simply crossed his arms as he continued looking up at the massive dead oak. After a few minutes of silence, he turned back to his wife. "Would a malevolent monster king let me say _that?"_

Seeing the logic in her husband's statement, Globgal felt her fears begin to fade. Against her better judgement, the size-shifter moved out from behind her hiding spot and knocked her knuckles against the old tree. "I don't believe it…" She scoffed, indignantly. "This whole time, our _entire society_ has been afraid of a _tree?"_

"Oh, don't _fret,_ darling." Eclipsine giggled. _"My_ society is afraid of just a _stump."_ Taking out his sword, he charged it with another dark enchantment and sliced off the very top of the tree. Soon enough, Globgal had convinced the others to cross the bridge and witness the facade for themselves. Grateful to him for opening their eyes, the monsters agreed to appoint Eclipsine as the new King of Darkness. Globgal lifted the "crown" and tried to place it over his head, but it was too big and slid over his whole body before she took it back off. After a brief, awkward silence, Eclipsine broke off a limb and stuck it into his hat. Thankfully, that was good enough for the other monsters as they lifted him into the air.

"ALL HAIL, ECLIPSINE! THE KING OF DARKNESS!"

* * *

Months later, Eclipsine and Globgal had been ruling over the monsters in peace and harmony. The couple decided that they would wait until after their child's birth to reach out to Mewni again. Eclipsine was so excited to become a father, he had spent most of his free time setting up a nursery and crafting toys for his child. Globgal loved watching her husband fuss over her and their unborn child.

After they learned from Indexia that they would be having a boy, Eclipsine begged his beloved for the right to choose a name. She agreed under the condition that he would tell it to her first. After a few bad ideas and disagreements, the couple finally settled on naming the boy "Meteoro."

Presently, the King and Queen of Darkness were relaxing in their private quarters, ready to turn in for the evening. As the magic mirror filled the air with a soft melody, Globgal massaged her swollen stomach as she rested in her husband's lap. The king, himself, could only smile with amusement; massaging Globgal's tail in an attempt to help her unwind.

"Mmm, I could get _used_ to you being this size all the time~." Eclipsine purred as he nuzzled Globgal's neck.

" _Don't."_ She replied, bluntly. "The minute after I give birth to your half-Mewman spawn, I'm growing _at least_ three times bigger."

"I'm sorry." He replied, unnerved by her tone. "Is something wrong?"

Globgal didn't answer right away. "I… I'm _scared,_ 'Clips." She whimpered. "What if… what if I'm not _ready_ to be a mother? What if I turn out just like my parents?"

"Darling…" Eclipsine moved to where he was sitting right in front of his wife. "When you look at _me,_ do you see my _father?"_

Globgal tilted her head and squinted. "Well, actually… aside from the goatee and cheek marks, you look _a lot_ like your _mom."_

Eclipsine snorted. "Yeah. For some reason, firstborn children of the Mewman hierarchy tend to resemble their _mothers_ more than their _fathers._ But I _digress._ My point is, I would _never_ pretend to think that my father had never done anything regretful, but I like to believe that his love for me brought out the _best_ in him. If not, he'd just be a _madman_ who couldn't let go of the past. Now, when you told me that your parents abandoned you, I felt _so sorry_ for you. But after I aided you in retrieving that idol and obtaining this temple, you _still_ did not eat me as you had so often _threatened_ to. And I know that that is because my love changed _you_ as well. Love is at the root of _everything._ All _learning,_ all _relationships…_ Love or the _lack_ of it."

Globgal choked back a sob, tears soaking her fur. "Do you really believe that?"

"Honestly, I believe that the greatest thing that we can do is to help somebody _know_ that they're _loved,_ and capable of _loving."_ He smiled, affectionately.

Globgal couldn't contain herself anymore. She gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a loving kiss. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she broke the kiss to jump to her feet.

"What?" The King of Darkness jumped to her side, visibly concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"He… he moved!" Globgal's eyes watered with joy. "I felt him move inside me!"

"What? Really?" Eclipsine let his wife guide his hand to her swollen belly. Sure enough, he felt the unborn child pressing against her womb, as if he were reacting to his parents' display of affection. The King of Darkness smiled brighter than ever before and wrapped his arms around Globgal. "HE MOVED!" He cried, happily.

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's notes: Wow. I wasn't expecting so many reviews for that last chapter. TBH, I'm not sorry I left it on a cliffhanger. I** _ **love**_ **watching you squirm and suffer! MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!**

 **^^I said after posting this chapter of fluff, lol.**

 **Also, some people have asked what Globgal looks like appearance-wise. Think Zoe Saldana's character in** _ **Avatar**_ **but with maroon fur and long white hair tied in dreadlocks. She also has four yellow eyes and sharp teeth.**

 **Also, guys I really won't have much time to update. I just started classes again at the Union hall in addition to my ten hour shifts at work. So from now on, updates will be sporadic.**


	17. Eclipsine: End of an Era

**ACT IV: Eclipsine, King of Darkness Part 6: The End of an Era**

 **Dragonfly Castle, Mewni.**

With his ankles and wrists chained together, Eclipsine was dragged into a large courtroom. Delegates from every kingdom in Mewni were shouting at him and yelling profanities. The Magical High Commission forced him into the center of the room and took their place with the jury.

Earlier that morning, the Spiderbite kingdom had led an infiltration mission into Eclipsine's temple, led by Hekapoe and Rhombulie. The soldiers showed no mercy in their attack, slaughtering the monsters who Eclipsine had come to know as his second family. The King of Darkness did his best to protect his son, but without the scepter he was at the end of his rope with dark magic. Hekapoe had easily overpowered him, knocked him unconscious, and stole the hybrid infant. Globgal had grown as large as she could as quickly as she could, but it was too late; Rhombulie had imprisoned her in an unbreakable crystal.

With their mission accomplished, the soldiers trapped their former ruler in chains and carried him back to Mewni to stand trial. As far as he knew, Hekapoe had killed his child and the MHC would soon murder his wife. He had been defeated.

"Let the trial commence!" Warner Spiderbite bellowed. "Duke Robert of the Misty Mountains will read the offense!"

An elderly man with two large front teeth stood up from the jury booth, reading a scroll. "Ahem, Eclipsine Totalis Dragonfly stands accused of abandoning his duties as ruler, committing adultery with a monster, and practicing dark magic!"

"Thank you, Duke Robert. Eclipsine, how do you plead?"

"You killed my _father!"_ Eclipsine spat back. "I have _nothing_ to say to you!"

"I believe we've heard _enough?"_ Warner turned to the jury who passed the verdict to Omnitraxus Prime.

"The people of Mewni have spoken." The omnipotent being read the verdict. "We find Eclipsine Totalis Dragonfly _guilty_ as charged."

"The motion _passes!"_ Warner slammed his gavel on the podium. "Eclipsine Dragonfly,you are hereby sentenced to death. However, given that you were once royalty, you have the unique opportunity to _choose_ how you will be executed. There are _plenty_ of methods for you to choose from; poisons, gas, guillotine, flames. And it can be done _immediately,_ or at any time of your choosing within the next forty-eight hours."

Eclipsine hung his head and sighed, dejectedly. For a brief moment, it seemed that all hope was lost. However, he happened to recall a certain spell that just might turn the odds in his favor. It was a simple spell, meant to allow any who cast it to communicate with the person they are making eye contact with at the time. And yet, as they communicate with said person, they do so only through their minds while still able to speak aloud. Realizing that the council would be demanding an answer soon, Eclipsine locked his gaze onto his trusted teacher. And with a coy smile, he muttered the secret words. "I'm a very rich man."

"Speak _up,_ Eclipsine!" Warner shouted. "What did you say?!"

"Uh, I'm sorry." The King of Darkness replied. "I simply said that I am a _very rich man._ I have been blessed with _many_ different riches throughout my life. I was born into _royalty,_ given the _finest_ of education, and now I have the _luxury_ to decide how I will die. Why, it'd be _selfish_ of me not to take _advantage_ of that opportunity."

While the rest of the delegates listened, Indexia was hearing something completely different. Eclipsine had a plan to get revenge on his father's killer and restore honor to his family's name. It was a long shot, but at this point he had nothing to lose. Giving him a simple nod, she made a silent vow to follow him to the bitter end. The King of Darkness winked at his teacher, thanking her for her loyalty.

"Then, have you _chosen_ your method of execution, Eclipsine?" Warner asked.

"I have, indeed." Eclipsine nodded. "I choose… to be given the _Magical High Commission_ as my executioners. And that only _they_ and _I_ will know the means of my execution."

The crowd fell silent. The delegates and MHC looked at one another with confusion. "This is _unheard_ of." The Duke of the Misty Mountains said, at last.

"Um, Eclipsine… we don't understand the _nature_ of the request." Warner stated.

"Oh, it's simple." Eclipsine shrugged with a smug grin plastered over his face. "I merely wish for my _death_ to have the one thing I always wanted in life; _privacy."_

Warner's gaze turned to the Magical High Commission, each member equally as perplexed as the delegates. In the end, they court agreed that there would be no harm in the fallen king's decision. "Very well, Eclipsine. And at _what time_ shall your execution take place?"

"Midnight, tonight."

"Any other requests?"

"Just _one…_ " Eclipsine replied, evenly. "I wish to die at _home._ In the caverns far below the castle's dungeon."

With the tribunal complete, the Magical High Commission led their former king out of the courtroom.

* * *

 **Far below Dragonfly Castle. 11:15 P.M.**

Eclipsine was sitting in an enclosed room made of iron, furnished with a bed, a table and a chair. As agreed upon by the council, two guards were stationed at the entrance of the cave in the event that Eclipsine attempted an escape. He was dressed in his favorite suit made by his late Aunt Jeshica, complete with the bowler hat containing the twig he added to signify his title as King of Darkness. He had just finished his last meal when he heard the tumblers of his cell door turning to unlock.

"Hello, Warner." He smiled. "What brings _you_ here?"

"What are you _talking_ about?" Warner scoffed, closing the door behind him as he stuffed the key into his coat pocket. "You gave Hekapoe a letter to give to me. It said you wanted me before you die."

"I _know_ what _prompted_ you to come here. But why _did_ you come?" The King of Darkness leaned back in his seat with a coy smile. "Oh! Were you still with the _delegates?_ You always had a _nasty habit_ of reading out loud, didn't you? They _know_ you're here, don't they?"

Warner straightened his tie and sat down on the bed. "Yes. Indeed they do. They know that I will not be intimidated by such a dangerous individual such as yourself."

Eclipsine chuckled, indignantly. "And you call _me_ pathetic. You came here because you still felt the need to _prove_ yourself, Warner. Which, honestly, _baffles_ me. You _won._ You're family now has control over the entire kingdom of Mewni, you've killed my family and friends, and yet you still needed to come down here to _prove_ that you aren't afraid of _me?_ Well, what an incredible _burden_ I must be! I never _could_ understand the ridiculous thinking process of feeble old politicians such as yourself."

The Baron of Spiderbites fumed with rage. "Well, _I_ can't understand how the Monster _Carver_ could have sired a monster _lover!_ He would _thank me_ for seeing to it that he couldn't live long enough to see what a _disappointment_ you turned out to be!"

"So you _admit_ it." Eclipsine crossed his arms, bitterly. "You _did_ sell the venom to the lizards."

In the past, Spiderbite had always been quick to dismiss the king's accusations. But down below the castle, where none of the delegates were present and the guards were too far away to hear anything, he didn't hesitate to laugh at the deposed ruler's expense. "I didn't _sell_ them the venom, I _gave_ it to them. Your father was an _arrogant, idiotic brute_ who would have driven this kingdom to the brink of _ruin_ just to settle his pathetic vendetta. The lizards agreed to leave my family's kingdom alone in exchange for being free to destroy the rest of Mewni. It's a _miracle_ this very castle is still _standing_ after Solarius' madness."

Eclipsine struggled to resist the urge to attack his visitor. "Choose your next words _very carefully."_ He warned.

"Oh, what's wrong? Have I _offended_ you?" Warner sneered. "I see no _point_ in being tactful with the bastard son of a _maniacal warmonger_ and a _seafaring whore. That alone_ should have been a red flag from the _start._ I mean just _look_ at you! Those _dark, disturbing eyes,_ that _sickly pale skin,_ and those _hideous black marks_ on your arms! Honestly, I can't believe it took an affair with a _monster_ for the fools of this pathetic kingdom to turn against you! I guess I'm just lucky that you failed to keep it a _secret."_

"Truthfully, I'm _grateful_ you outed me." Eclipsine replied. "Thanks to you, I know that wherever she is, my _mother_ still loves and accepts me in spite of this miserable world's discrimination. I'd rather be _hated_ for who I am than _liked_ for who I pretend to be."

"Then you're an _idiot."_ The Baron chuckled, indignantly. "Well, I hope you enjoyed that time you spent with the monster and your deformed offspring, because once whatever execution you've selected is set into motion, the _former king_ Eclipsine Dragonfly goes to the _deepest, blackest, bleakest pits_ of Hell."

The Baron turned to head towards the exit, having said all he wanted to. However, in spite of all he had just said, the King of Darkness smiled, wickedly. Threading his fingers together as he leaned over the table, Eclipsine beaconed to his guest once more. "Warner?"

Warner groaned in frustration. Nevertheless, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. "Make it _quick,_ Eclipsine."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about the _time,_ Warner." Eclipsine promised; his demeanor much more pleasant. "You're not going _anywhere._ You see, the truth is, I haven't been completely _fair_ with you since you arrived. Would you still like to know the _method_ of execution I've selected?" When Warner nodded in agreement, Eclipsine's smile grew wider. "Well, at midnight, tonight - approximately _thirty minutes_ from now - a _bomb_ is going to explode in this room."

Warner's smile vanished as his eyes nervously darted around the dungeon. "... very good choice, Eclipsine." He replied, clearing his throat. "Relatively _quick_ and _painless."_

"I suppose so." Eclipsine nodded. "However, it _is_ a rather odd request, isn't it? After all, sitting in a room for _hours, knowing_ that you will die in a violent explosion, isn't the most _pleasant_ way to spend your last evening alive. Why surely, it would drive any individual _mad,_ wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess… that depends on the _individual."_ Warner shrugged and reached into his pocket, only to find nothing there. "... my key. Where is it? Where _is_ it?!" As he dropped to his knees to search for it, Eclipsine stood up from his chair and paced around the room.

"You are _correct,_ Warner. It depends on the _individual."_ He laughed.

Warner jumped to his feet in a panic and grabbed the collar of Eclipsine's shirt. "Let me _out_ of here! Give me my key, right now! Or I'll-!"

"You'll _what? Kill_ me? You still won't escape the blast. By the time you even _find_ the key, it will be too late." Eclipsine rolled his eyes and swatted the baron's arms away. Reaching into his coat to pull out a book, the young king lay down on his bed. "For _years_ you and everyone else in this kingdom have _mocked_ and _shunned_ me behind my back. You think you're _better_ than I am simply because I do not conform to _your_ norms. And because of that, you've made the grave mistake of thinking that I am _weaker_ than you."

Speechless, Warner sat down in the chair. His heart was pounding, his pupils dilated, and his lungs were burning. In stark contrast, Eclipsine began to read the small book as if everything were completely fine. "This book contains the _doctrine_ my wife and I wrote together. We initially created it for the monsters who lived with us in our temple, but we planned to incorporate it into the law once we bridged the gap between our two societies. So, if I am to die, I choose to spend my remaining time reading my precious doctrine…"

The minutes had felt like hours to the quivering baron. As Eclipsine read, Warner had resorted to banging his fists on the cell door, screaming for help. But it was no use; no one could hear him. And yet, despite Warner's trembling and tears, Eclipsine continued to read the doctrine of the monsters without a hint of worry in his tone. "'And though we walk the line between light and darkness, we do not succumb to evil. We _defy_ it. We _abstain_ from it. And only when necessary, we _punish_ it.'"

"Please!" Warner finally cried. "Let me out! In the name of _Stump,_ let me _out!"_ The cowardly baron continued pounding on the solid iron in a vain attempt to break it down. "Let me _out!"_

"Yes, Baron!" Eclipsine closed his book and reached into his pocket. "In the name of Stump I _will_ let you out!" He handed the key to the whimpering murderer, and watched in contempt as he hurried out the door. With his plan complete, the King of Darkness spread his arms and closed his eyes, peacefully.

Warner ducked just in time before the explosion went off. The solid iron room was completely shattered to pieces. Once the dust settled, Warner sighed with relief and stood up…

… only to see Eclipsine Dragonfly trapped inside a massive crystal.

"What…?" The baron backed away from the crystal, as if trying to get away from the menacing fire in Eclipsine's frozen eyes. Suddenly, something pierced his back and sliced his spinal column in half. Paralyzed from the waist down, Warner could do nothing but helplessly look up at his attacker.

"Y'know, I've been wanting to do that for _years?"_ Hekapoe sneered, cleaning the blood off of his scissors. "I just never had an _excuse_ until now."

"What…?" Warner repeated as Omnitraxus, Lekmat, and Rhombulie joined their brother. "Wh-what's going on?! What's happening?!"

"Well, we kinda made a _deal_ with Eclipsine." Rhombulie replied. "He bomb he mentioned was a new _trap_ of my design. If he couldn't get a _confession_ out of you before it went off, then we'd decrystallize him and execute him _properly."_

"But since he _was_ able to get you to confess to having a hand in King Solarius' assassination, we agreed to keep him _and_ his monster lover alive and crystallized for all eternity." Omnitraxus reached down to grab the crippled baron's leg.

"Now, obviously, we ain't got much love for _Eclipsine."_ Hekapoe snipped his scissors in front of Warner's face, menacingly. "But _Solarius_ was our _friend."_

"Wait, no! Stop! You can't do this!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Spiderbite, try to at least _die_ with some dignity." Hekapoe scoffed as he and his sisters dragged the pitiful man off to be executed.

"No! No, please! My friends!" Warner begged as he dug his fingernails into the ground. "I-I only want to _serve_ Mewni! I didn't _mean_ it! Please! He _tricked_ me! It was more of his lies! It's _Eclipsine's_ fault! No! No! No! No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The cave fell deathly silent once the coward was finally taken out of the new crystalline dungeon. The Magical High Commission would uphold their end of the bargain, and keep Eclipsine and his monster wife locked away in their separate crystal prisons. As far as the rest of the kingdom was concerned, the King and Queen of Darkness would never see the light of day again.

Or so they _thought._

 _ **Eclipsine, King of Darkness,**_

 _ **To a Mewman queen was wed,**_

 _ **But took a monster for his love,**_

 _ **And away from Mewni fled.**_

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's notes: RAH! RAH! ECLIPSINE, LOVER OF THE MONSTER QUEEN! THERE WAS A CAT THAT REALLY WAS GONE! RAH! RAH! ECLIPSINE, MEWNI'S GREATEST LOVE MACHINE! IT WAS A SHAME HOW HE CARRIED ON!**

 **I'm sorry… no, I'm not.**

 **I** _ **am**_ **sorry for the big jump in time. I was contemplating on whether or not to show how the MHC captured Eclipsine, but I felt it would have slowed down the plot. Anyway, tune in for the next chapter starting with Festivio the Fun!**


	18. Festivio: The Lies Begin

**ACT V: Festivio, the Fun Chapter 1: The Lies Begin**

The day after Eclipsine's trial, the Magical High Commission had met in secrecy to discuss the future of Mewni's monarchy. The citizens of Mewni were still in turmoil over the betrayal of their king, worried that he had monster spies hiding within the kingdom's walls. Additionally, the entire Spiderbite family - including Shastica - were now under inspection for Warner's actions against Solarius.

Luckily, Hekaope had come up with the perfect solution. The fiery blacksmith summoned his siblings and creator to the council hall to explain his plan. "Okay, _obviously,_ we have to get rid of the hybrid freak. But we _still_ need someone to hold up the legacy of Dragonfly kings."

"Yeah, _so?"_ Rhombulie shrugged.

"Well, I happened to have taken a little stroll through the Pie Folk village yesterday, and I found an orphan abandoned on the street. We can give Eclipsine's son to… fuck it, let's say _St. Olaf's_ orphanage. Then, we give the royal scepter to the piefolk kid, the magic in the scepter _should_ give him enough power to make him pass off as Eclipsine's kid, and then _he'll_ become the new king."

The other mystics seemed to agree with their brother, but Indexia remained silent. Omnitraxus Prime tried to consider any errors in her brother's logic, but it seemed to be a perfect plan. After all, King Brian - the first king - didn't develope natural magic abilities until thirteen years into his rule.

With a level head, Indexia sighed. "Very well. If you all believe that this is the best option for the kingdom, I will not interfere." With that, the blue mage hovered away.

Hekapoe pointed in Indexia's direction as he looked towards his siblings. "Is it me, or is her voice different?"

The very next day, the Commission assembled the citizens outside of the castle.

"Citizens of Mewni!" Omnitraxus announced. "As you all know, King Eclipsine had abandoned our grand kingdom to elope with a monster. However, we have learned that before the affair, the former king sired a child with his _true wife,_ Queen Shastica!"

Hekapoe stepped forward, holding up a purple-haired baby boy for all to see. Omnitraxus took the baby in her own arms and addressed the citizens again. "With the help of the Magical High Commission, this boy will be able to rebuild the damage his father caused this kingdom! Behold; _Prince Festivio!"_

* * *

 **Thirteen Years Later...**

The Magical High Commission were currently under a lot of stress. Two months ago, Shastica had finally overstepped her authority too far by threatening to have the Commission imprisoned for her father's death. However, a sudden "accident" involving a monster quickly let the four mystics off the hook. Unfortunately, that also meant that Festivio would have to inherit the throne early.

And the last time a prince was crowned early, they ended up with Eclipsine.

"We can't put this off any longer." Omnitraxus pointed out. "The people are growing restless without a ruler."

"But he's just a _boy."_ Rhombulie argued. "Younger than _Eclipsine_ was when _he_ inherited the throne."

("Only by _one year.")_ Lekmat reasoned. ("And Festivio is _much_ more stable than Eclipsine. He's grown up to be a _bright, caring, and intelligent_ young man.")

"He wrecked the royal carriage…" Hekapoe deadpanned. "Three times… _a day…_ for the past _five months."_

("Okay, so he's not _perfect.")_ Lekmat shrugged. ("But he can't possibly be the _worst_ king. Remember _Soupillo?")_

"Oh, you had to bring _him_ up!" Omnitraxus groaned.

"Alright, we'll tell him." Hekapoe sighed. "Where is he?"

"What? I thought _you_ were watching him." Rhombulie replied, nervously.

Meanwhile, Festivio Dragonfly was happily strolling down the streets of Mewni. His scepter took the form of a tall, golden goblet with an amethyst jewel embedded in the front. He had cast a unique spell that kept it full of whatever beverage he desired, no matter how much he drank.

He was tired of being sheltered inside the castle, and decided to sneak out for a walk. His purple four-pointed star-marks on his cheeks gave away his status, causing many citizens to smile and wave at him. But despite his cheery demeanor, he couldn't help but notice that everyone else looked so miserable.

"Ow! Stop it!" His attention was drawn to a girl being pushed to the ground by a group of boys.

"Excuse me?" The bullies turned around and jumped in terror. Festivio Dragonfly was aiming his scepter at them as he slowly made his way over to the girl to help her up on her feet. Once he was certain that she was unharmed, the young king shot her hazers a menacing glare. "I don't know much about plebeian culture, but whenever someone tells you to leave them alone… you _leave_ them _alone."_

"M-my apologies, your majesty!" One bully quivered. "We weren't aware that she was your friend."

"Well, that's quite alright. We _all_ make mistakes. The important thing is that we _learn_ from them. Now, why don't you three _run along."_ Festivo chuckled as the ruffians ran off. Next, he turned his attention to the girl they were harassing, recognizing her as the princess of the Musty Mountains. "I'm _terribly sorry_ if those jerks made you uncomfortable, m'lady." He smiled. "Would you like me to escort you home?"

"That'd be nice…" She blushed. "Thank you so much, your highness."

As they walked down the cobblestone streets, the young monarch conjured up a second cup and offered it to his new friend. "Would you care for a drink?"

"Um… grape juice, if you don't mind, your majesty."

"Coming right up!" Festivio tipped the goblet over the cup, allowing the purple liquid to flow into the cup. He enjoyed seeing how much delight his trick brought her. "So, what was all that about? I can't believe anyone would dare to assault royalty."

"Well, sadly, no one seems to think very highly of the _lesser_ kingdoms." She sighed, sadly. "Our roads are in desperate need of repair. The damages done to them make it easier for monsters to raid our supply convoys. And the rivers are in desperate need of cleaning. And it's not just _my_ kingdom, _others_ are suffering as well."

"Really? Hmm... " Festivio took another sip of his drink as he contemplated her words. "Princess…?"

"Chastity."

"Princess Chastity, would you be willing to spend the night at my family castle and tell me more?"

 **The Next Day...**

The Magical High Commission were still searching for Festivio. Hekapoe and Rhombulie were the first to meet back at the castle. "Did you find him?" The crystalline woman asked.

"What?"

"Did you _find_ him?" She repeated.

"Oh, _yes,_ Rhombulie." He replied, sardonically. "About a _half hour_ ago. But now, I've _hidden_ him so that _you_ can find him."

Rhombulie crossed her snake-arms, angrily. "Y'know, sometimes your sarcasm _hurts!"_

"Where _is_ he?!" Omnitraxus shouted.

"Excuse me, Commission?" Guard Gerlad interrupted. "But King Festivio has summoned you to the library."

The Commission ran as fast as they could down the halls. Sure enough, the king was conversing with Princess Chastity about all the major problems that plagued Mewman society. Indexia was hovering beside them, enjoying a pudding-based drink made especially for her by her student. It wasn't long before the ruler noticed his Commission had arrived.

"Dudes! I'm so glad you're here! We've got a _lot_ to talk about!" Festivio conjured up a round of drinks for his caretakers and invited them to sit down. Despite their confusion, the Commission obliged his request. "Okay, I want to create a team to fix the roads in every kingdom starting tomorrow. We can have the Solarian warriors keep them safe while they work! At least until I can expand the magical barrier. And we also gotta clean up the rivers, but I think we can get it done if we make a deal with the Waterfolk. And then there's the problem with the _economy…"_

The Commission was highly impressed. "How do you know all this?" Omnitraxus asked.

"Chastity told me. We're working together, now!" Festivio took a sip from his goblet-scepter and held up his free hand to his new best friend. "POWER BUMP!"

The two young monarchs bumped their fists together in celebration. "P-shew!"

Over the course of the next six months, Festivio had delivered on his promise. The kingdom was now fully protected from all monster threats and the citizens had more than enough to eat. But despite this, the king was still not content. The political responsibilities were becoming too much to bear. He longed for a chance to kick back and relax with his friends.

With his fourteenth birthday approaching, the king made his decision. He would throw a huge party at the castle. There would be drinks, chips, dips, pizzas, barbeque, candy, games, sports, and just general jubilation. Perhaps he would even propose to Chastity.

Festivio felt a strong tingling sensation in his chest. For the first time in so long, he was thinking about his own enjoyment instead of worrying about the problems of the world. This feeling felt like a new high; better than anything he felt after a long drink.

Hekapoe entered the throne room with the latest progress report. "Congratulations, my king! You have _definitely_ improved this kingdom!"

"I figured it out…"

"Huh?"

"I've figured it out!" The king smiled as he sipped from the goblet-scepter. "The whole meaning of life is to _enjoy_ life, y'know? I mean, I understand that there are _problems_ with the world, but what about _us,_ man? It's like, we wake up too early, work too hard, and eat too little because we're _worried._ Worried about the _monsters,_ worried about the _economy,_ worried about the _crops._ People need to take time to _cut loose!_ To _enjoy_ themselves!"

"What are you saying?"

"Tomorrow night, I wanna throw a _huge party!_ Let everyone cut loose! Let them be happy! Let them feel good!" Festivo finished off his speech with a vigorous toast. "Let them have fun!"

 **To Be Continued!**

 **Author's notes: And we've kicked off the false generation of kings with Festivio the Fun! Okay, few things of importance to know; first of all, Daron Nefcy confirmed that Festivia was a hedonist, so that is how I will be portraying Festivio. He seeks pleasure and self-indulgence due to a rough upbringing (no thanks to Shastica and the MHC). Second, the book never gave us the actual name of Festivia's husband, so I didn't really have a lot to work with in that regard.**

 **One more thing: Please. Please, please, please, please,** _ **please**_ **leave a review. I need constructive feedback to know that I'm improving my writing. For personal reasons, I won't go into detail, but I honestly appreciate it when I get a notification in my emails saying that someone enjoyed my update and that they're enjoying my story.**


End file.
